RENO, Nev. - For the second day in a row the University of Nevada (12-10) baseball team knocked off #18 UC Irvine (13-8) at Peccole Park. After winning 5-3 on Friday, the Wolf Pack again won by two runs on Saturday by a score of 6-4. With the victory the Pack improved to 12-10 while the Anteaters fall to 13-8.
Nevada shortstop Kevin Rodland started the game with a triple and scored on left fielder Brian Barnett's ground out to give the Pack a 1-0 lead after an inning of action. UCI got a sacrifice fly from right fielder Jonathan Hurst in the second inning to the tie the score at 1-1.
In the bottom of the second the Pack scored four runs on six hits. Back-to-back triples from designated hitter Brock Stassi and right fielder Ronnie Mitchell put Nevada on top by a run. Third baseman Nick Leid followed with an RBI double and he came around to score on second baseman Joe Kohan's single. First baseman Shaun Kort's single scored the fourth run of the inning to put the Pack on top 5-1.
In the fourth inning Rodland doubled with two down and center fielder Westley Moss followed with a triple and it was 6-1.
UCI tallied three runs in the top of the fifth inning to close within two runs at 6-4. Center fielder Sean Madigan's single scored the first run and first baseman Jeff Cusick's double plated the other two runs in the inning but that would be all the scoring in the game that ended with a 6-4 Pack victory.
Making his first start of the season junior Jeremy Cole (2-0) tossed eight innings to earn the win. Cole allowed four runs on eight hits and struck out two on the day. Senior reliever Tyler Graham (3) saved his third game of the season pitching a scoreless ninth inning. Christian Bergman (2-1) suffered the loss allowing six runs on 10 hits in 3.2 innings on the mound.
Stassi (4-for-4,R) finished with a game-high four hits and scored a run while Kohan (3-for-4,R,RBI) added three to the 14-hit attack. Rodland (2-for-5,2R) and Moss (2-for-4,RBI) totaled two hits apiece. Stassi had two triples in the game with Moss, Mitchell and Rodland having one each as the team had five in the game.
Catcher Francis Larson (2-for-4) had multiple hits for the Anteaters in the game. Cusick drove in two of UCI's four runs with his double in the fifth inning.
Nevada will be seeking the series sweep on Sunday at noon.
