Box Score March 18, 2015 Final Stats
Box Score
Season Statistics
RENO, Nev. - The 29th-ranked Wolf Pack overcame a three-run deficit following back-to-back home runs to down Cincinnati, 5-3, Wednesday afternoon at Peccole Park. Nevada scored four runs in the sixth inning with two outs and nobody on base to rally past the Bearcats for a game one victory in the first-ever meeting between the two ball clubs.
Senior Kewby Meyer hit a three-run homer and junior Bryce Greager hit a solo home run in the following at bat as Nevada (17-4) scored four runs in the sixth inning to overturn a 3-1 Bearcat (6-12) lead. The Wolf Pack improved to 10-1 at Peccole Park.
Junior RHP Zach Wilkins (1-0) pitched 3.1 innings in relief without allowing a hit or base runner to notch his first win with the Wolf Pack. Sophomore RHP Evan McMahan made his first start of the season and logged 3.2 innings while senior RHP Adam Whitt tallied his NCAA-leading 10th save.
"This took good perseverance by our guys to come from behind and win again," said head coach Jay Johnson. "We talk about an inning never being over and today our four-run inning occurred with two outs and nobody on. We had four great at bats in a row. We're looking forward to getting back out here tomorrow."
The Bearcats opened a 2-0 lead in the third at bat of the game when junior Ian Happ hit his sixth home run of the season. An RBI groundout scored a runner from third as Cincinnati opened a 3-0 lead following the first inning.
The Pack scored an unearned run in the bottom second to cut the deficit to 3-1. Meyer reached first on a throwing error before being scored by freshman Jordan Pearce's single down the right side.
Both teams were held scoreless in the third, fourth and fifth innings before Nevada seized momentum in the sixth. On two outs, junior Ryan Howell singled and sophomore Trenton Brooks reached on a bunt down the third base line. Meyer, a preseason All-MW selection, hit his first home run of the season with a blast over the right, center fence as Nevada opened a 4-3 lead. In the very next at bat, Greager hit his fourth home run of the season to make it 5-3.
McMahan, a native of Las Vegas, pitched into the fourth inning, allowing two earned runs on five hits, two walks and four strikeouts. Wilkins got the final out of the fourth inning before sending Cincinnati three up, three down in the fifth, sixth and seventh frames. Wilkins earned his first Division 1 victory of his career while lowering his ERA to 0.93 in a flawless performance.
Whitt entered the game in the eighth inning and stranded runners on the corners with a strikeout. The Carson City native tallied two strikeouts and a pop up to end the game in the top ninth, collecting his NCAA leading 10th save. Whitt now has 18 saves in his career, trailing Matt Gardner (2011-12) by one save for second in program history.
Nevada scored five runs in six hits with two Bearcat errors. Meyer led the Pack with three RBI and two runs while Brooks (2-of-4) tallied Nevada's lone multi-hit performance. Cincinnati scored three runs on six hits with one Nevada error.
Game two between the Wolf Pack and Bearcats is set for 4 p.m. PT on Thursday.
