Box Score March 8, 2015 Final Stats
Box Score
Season Statistics
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Nevada overturned an early three-run deficit to rally past rivals UNLV, winning the series behind an 8-5 victory Sunday afternoon at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. The 29th-ranked Wolf Pack improves to 13-2 overall while taking sole possession of first place in Mountain West standings with a 5-1 conference record.
UNLV scored three runs and forced Nevada to its bullpen in the first inning. Freshman Jordan Pearce hit a two-run homer and the Pack plated five runs in the fifth to take the lead. Freshman LHP Jojo Romero and senior RHP Adam Whitt combined for a two-hitter in the final 4.2 innings to keep Nevada in front.
The Wolf Pack won the series opener, 6-5, on Friday after rallying back from another three-run deficit. The Rebels (7-7, 1-5) won the second game, 1-0, to set up today's rubber match. Nevada's series finale victory secured the Pack's first series win over UNLV since Feb. 12-14, 2013. Nevada has won all four of its three-game series in 2015.
"I'm proud of our guys," said head coach Jay Johnson. "They grinded it out today when it wasn't really going our way early. We received a great effort from McMahan, Fain and Romero in relief to slow them down and allow our offense to get after them."
UNLV sent its entire lineup to bat in the first inning and opened an early lead for the third straight game. The Rebels took a 3-0 advantage on five hits while sophomore RHP Evan McMahan entered the contest in relief to get the final out of the first.
Nevada trimmed the Rebels' lead to one run in the third as senior Kewby Meyer led off with a double. Junior Ryan Howell reached on an error, allowing Meyer to scored Nevada's first run. Howell made it 3-2 after scoring from second base on sophomore Trenton Brooks' RBI single.
UNLV hit a home run in the bottom fourth to take a 4-2 lead before the Wolf Pack offense caught fire in the fifth inning. Consecutive doubles from Meyer and senior Austin Byler scored one run, while Brooks tied the game with another RBI single. Senior Jordan Devencenzi scored the go-ahead run with a double off the wall to score Brooks. Freshman Jordan Pearce stepped to the plate with two outs in the fifth.
On a 1-0 count, the Oceanside, Calif., native hit his first collegiate home run with a moon shot to right field, plating two runs to give Nevada an 7-5 lead.
Nevada tacked on an insurance run in the seventh as sophomore Justin Bridgman scored Devencenzi from third with a sac bunt.
After troubles early, Nevada used four pitchers out of the bullpen to limit UNLV to two runs on nine hits in the final eight innings. McMahan relieved senior LHP Barry Timko, allowing two hits and no runs in 2.1 innings. Junior RHP Michael Fain earned his second win of the season in relief of McMahan, pitching 1.1 innings.
Romero - a freshman from Oxnard, Calif. - dazzled in three innings of work, allowing one hit and no runs while facing 10 batters. Romero lowered his ERA to 4.00 in his best performance of the season.
Whitt earned his seventh save of the season and the 14th of his career, slamming the door shut on the Rebels in the eighth and ninth innings. The Carson City native allowed one hit and no runs while facing six batters, lowering his ERA to 0.71 on the season.
Meyer led the Wolf Pack with three hits, two doubles and two runs. Brooks also added three hits with two RBI on a 3-of-5 effort at the plate. Howell, Devencenzi and freshman Cal Stevenson each added two hits. Nevada scored eight runs on 16 hits with one error compared to five runs on 14 hits with one error for the Rebels.
Nevada will close its four-game road swing on Tuesday, meeting UC Davis (9-7-1) for the second game of a home-and-home series. The Wolf Pack edged the Aggies, 7-6, on March 3 at Peccole Park behind a three-run homer from Howell. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m. PT at the Dobbins Baseball Complex in Davis, Calif.
