Box Score

RENO, Nev. -

Utah State 11, Nevada 9

With several strong offensive plays at the plate aptly timed outs defensively, Utah State softball secured the series win over Nevada in an 11-9 win in Reno, Saturday.

Saturday's game was a busy one for the Aggies, as the team scored more runs in one game than in the last three games combined. The 11 runs are also a season-high for the team. The nine runs scored by Nevada are the most allowed by the Aggies while still coming out with the win.

"I'm really proud of the fight we had all day long. We overcame some adversity and kept battling," said USU head coach Steve Johnson. "Two days in a row now, we've come up and produced in clutch situations at the plate and that was the difference. Now we continue to build on this momentum and come and fight just as hard on Sunday."

While the Aggies utilized three pitchers on the day, freshman Jordyn McCracken was credited with the win, as she improved to 1-3 on the year. Sophomore first baseman Paxton Provost led Utah State at the plate in the win, tallying three hits, including a two-RBI triple, on her way to batting .750. She was also tops defensively, posting nine putouts to match her season-best.

With the win, Utah State improves to 11-20 overall with a 3-2 Mountain West record. Nevada falls to 10-21 on the season, while going 0-2 in league action.

The Wolf Pack was first on the board Saturday afternoon, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning. Nevada was able to capitalize on mistakes in the circle to earn the runs, with runners scoring following a walk and a double.

The Aggies were able to respond to Nevada's early runs, scoring six runs in the third while going through more than the entire batting order. With the bases loaded, senior outfielder Hailey Froton doubled to left center, putting USU on the board with three RBI. She was then able to cross the plate on an error by the Nevada left fielder, while Provost also capitalized on a fielding error to score. After a Nevada pitching change, Armendariz scored on a single from sophomore second baseman Victoria Saucedo to increase the Aggies' lead.

The bottom of the third proved to be equally as active as Nevada added five additional runs in its at bat, reclaiming the lead. In the fourth, the Aggies struck again, highlighted by a Froton double and a Provost triple. The next two innings were quiet as USU held on to its 9-7 advantage.

With a powerful two-run homer from senior third baseman Nicole Arata, the Aggies extended their lead in the top of the seventh. In the bottom of that final inning, the Wolf Pack tried to rally back for the win, but were only able to put two additional runs on the board. In what would be the final play of the game, Nevada's Aaliyah Gibson was put out at first on an interference call, securing the victory for Utah State.

Utah State and Nevada conclude the season series on Sunday, March 29 in a 1 p.m. (MT) game.

Fans can follow the Aggie softball program on Twitter, @USUSoftball, on Facebook at facebook.com/USUSoftball or on Instagram, @ususoftball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at facebook.com/USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.