Abilene Christian 7, Nevada 3
Monday, Feb. 20, 2023
Abilene, Texas - Crutcher Scott Field

WP - Austin Glaze (1-0)
LP - Jacob Biesterfeld (0-1)
SV - None

ABILENE, Texas - Nevada fell into an early hole in Monday's finale at Abilene Christian, and could not claw out, falling 7-3.

Abilene Christian took three of four to take the series. Nevada (1-3) returns to action later this week, traveling to Riverside, Calif., for four games, two apiece against host Cal Baptist and High Point. The Pack is scheduled to open the weekend Thursday at 6 p.m. against Cal Baptist.

Monday, Abilene Christian got out in front early, scoring two in the first before answering Henry Strmecki's solo homer in the top of the second with four runs in the bottom half.

Garrett Williams opened the scoring with a two-out, two-run single off of Nevada starter Jacob Biesterfeld, who went just the first frame Monday. After Strmecki halved the deficit with his solo shot in the second, Abilene Christian again got the bats going, this time against reliever Easton Marks.

Tanner Tweedt's walk loaded the bases with one out after Logan Britt's RBI single. Two wild pitches from Marks allowed Grayson Tatrow and Britt to come across, making it 5-1 Wildcats, then, with two away Williams got his second RBI single to make it 6-1.

Wolf Pack relievers Alejandro Murillo and Michael Sarhatt performed well over the remaining six innings, combining to strike out four and hold the Wildcats to just one run on three hits.

Murillo righted the ship with two scoreless innings of work, but the Pack offense could not find the key hit to dent the deficit. The Pack had runners at second and third with two out in both the third and fourth innings, but each time came away empty-handed.

After leaving two on again in the sixth, Nevada broke through in the seventh with a pair of runs. Mason Hirata led off with a walk, and Taylor Holder doubled down the line in left to put runners at second and third. Both runs came across, but at the cost of two outs as Hirata scored on Derek Tenney's sacrifice fly into foul territory in right, and Holder scored on Matt Clayton's grounder to second. Strmecki singled to get things started again, but Wildcat reliever Zach Smith got Nolan Wilson to ground into a fielder's choice to end the rally.

Nevada had one more rally in the eight, putting runners at first and second as Jaxon Woodhouse and Jesse Pierce each singled to open the frame. But Smith again escaped, striking out the next two batters before getting Jeff Bauser to fly out.

Bash Randle's solo homer in the bottom half of the eighth provided an insurance run for Abilene Christian, and was the final tally in the contest.