Fresno, Calif. The University of Nevada(12-10, 4-1 WAC) baseball team lost the first game of a four-game Western Athletic Conference series 12-4 to Fresno State(13-12, 3-2 WAC) at Pete Beiden Field in Fresno, Calif. Friday night. The loss was the first of the season for the Wolf Pack in conference play leaving them 4-1 in WAC action and dropping them to 12-10 on the season. The Bulldogs improved to 13-12 and 3-2 in the conference.
FS scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning to take the early lead 2-0. Center fielder Trent Soares walked and moved to third base on second baseman Eric Wetzel’s double. Left fielder Steve Susdorf scored both runners with is single up the middle.
The Bulldogs added two more runs in the third inning to extend their lead to 4-0. Both runs were unearned as Nevada committed two errors in the inning. Wetzel scored the first run when he singled and moved all the way to third on a throwing error by Pack pitcher Rod Scurry on a pickoff attempt where he later scored on a wild pitch. Third baseman Tommy Mendonca drove in the second run of the inning with a single to center field.
A three run top of the fifth inning got the Pack within a run at 4-3. FS starter Justin Wilson had not allowed a hit until Nevada designated hitter Terry Walsh led off the fifth with a double off the center field fence. Right fielder Dan Eastham made Wilson work fouling off 10 pitches and singled on the 14th pitch he saw in the at bat to left field putting runners on the corners. A walk to shortstop Kevin Rodland loaded the bases for catcher Travis Simas. Simas struck out for the first out of the inning and then second baseman David Ciarlo stepped to the plate. Ciarlo hit a ground rule double to center field that scored two and it would have plated three had the ball not bounced over the fence.
After a pitching change center fielder Jason Sadoian hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Rodland and Ciarlo moved to third base on the play. A walk to left fielder Matt Bowman brought third baseman Jason Rodriguez to the plate. Rodriguez hit the ball on a line but directly at the Bulldog second baseman to end the inning but Nevada had pulled within a run.
That would be as close as the Pack would get as FS scored eight runs in their next three at bats to win 12-4. Nevada scored its final run of the game on a bases loaded walk in the top of the ninth inning.
Scurry(3-3) lost for the first time in four starts after allowing six runs, three earned in five innings on the mound. He struck out six and walked three in the game. FS reliever Brandon Burke(3-3) earned the win tossing three shutout innings of baseball.
Walsh(2-for-3,R,RBI) led Nevada with two hits on the night as the team totaled just seven in the game. Ciarlo led the Pack with two RBI.
Ahmady(3-for-5,3R,3RBI) topped FS with three hits and all three went for extra bases, two doubles and a home run. Susdorf and Ahmady tied for game-high honors with three RBI apiece.
The two squads play a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at 2:05 p.m.
