Softball: Wolf Pack swept again, last in WAC

By: Juan López

Monday, May 3, 2010 - 11:05 PM

With three more Western Athletic Conference losses last weekend against Louisiana Tech, the Nevada softball team all but clinched its worst season in team history.

The Lady Techsters swept the Wolf Pack 9-3, 3-1 and 9-7, extending Nevada’s WAC losing streak to seven games and dropping the team’s record to 16-26 overall and 3-14 in league play.

With just three regular-season games to play, the Wolf Pack’s conference mark is on pace to break the 2003 team record for worst conference mark in a season (5-15). Nevada’s active seven-game WAC losing streak is the second-longest in school history, behind an eight-gamer at the end of the 2005 season.

MISSING THE TOURNEY?

The losses moved the Wolf Pack to last place in the WAC. The team is in danger of missing this year’s WAC Tournament, which takes only the top six teams in the eight-team conference.

To make the tourney, Nevada would have to jump seventh-place Utah State (5-14) and sixth-place New Mexico State (5-13).

Since Utah State is finished with its regular season, the Wolf Pack would be able to jump the Aggies if it sweeps its home series this weekend against Boise State. As for New Mexico State, the Aggies finish the regular season with a three-game series against San Jose State.

New Mexico State can clinch the last spot in the tournament with two wins against San Jose State — but should the Aggies lose two or more games, the Wolf Pack can leapfrog them into the sixth spot with a sweep against Boise State.

DISAPPOINTING FINISH

Wolf Pack senior pitcher Katie Holverson took two of her team’s three losses last weekend, dropping her record to 6-16.

During the weekend, Holverson pitched eight innings, giving up 14 hits and 10 earned runs, boosting her earned run average to 5.54. Holverson has lost her last five decisions.

The final season in Holverson’s illustrious career with the Wolf Pack has been worlds away from her first three years. During those seasons, she posted a record of 61-31 and had ERAs of 3.11, 2.26 and 1.70.

As her ERA has gone up, her strikeout numbers have declined. Holverson has fanned 19 percent of the batters she has faced this season, her lowest total since she fanned 16 percent as a freshman.

Juan López can be reached at jlopez@nevadasagebrush.com.