Nevada 11, UNLV 10
Saturday, March 18, 2023
Reno, Nev. - Don Weir Field at Peccole Park
WP - Dorsey Chatham (2-0)
LP - Noah Carbajal (0-1)
RENO, Nev. - Derek Tenney lined a one-out, two-run double over Alex Pimentel's head in center to complete a four-run Nevada ninth, and walk off the Wolf Pack's 11-10 win over UNLV.
The teams close the series Sunday with a 1:05 p.m. first pitch at Greater Nevada Field. Tickets for the contest are available at
www.renoaces.com.
The Pack (10-9, 2-3 MW) came all the way back from an early 9-2 hole, and capped the rally in the ninth. The Pack loaded the bases with none out, with walks from
Nolan Wilson and
Henry Strmecki sandwiching a fielding error which allowed
Taylor Holder to reach base. That chased reliever Nick Rupp from the game after Rupp had allowed just one run on one hit over the previous three innings, and brought in Noah Carbajal in an attempt to stop the flood.
Jesse Pierce legged out a fielder's choice to drive in Wilson with the first run of the rally, then
Matt Clayton capped his 4-for-5, five-RBI night with his third double of the game, a towering shot off the wall in center that plated Holder to make it a one-run game at 10-9.
With the outfield playing in, anticipating a play at the plate with the winning run on second, Tenney sent a laser over Pimentel's head in center, cueing the Pack celebration. It capped a 2-for-5 night for Tenney.
UNLV (6-11, 2-3 MW) added what they believed was an insurance run off of
Dorsey Chatham in the top of the ninth, but it was not to be. Chatham would end up with his second win of the season for throwing the top of the ninth. Carbajal took his first loss of the season, getting just one out and being charged with the winning run.
Although not figuring in the decision, reliever
Michael Sarhatt played a key role in the Nevada comeback. The righty threw 3.1 innings of scoreless relief and struck out five, giving the Pack offense the chance it needed to claw back into things.
Nevada's comeback started in the fourth. Clayton spurred the rally, smashing a two-run homer to left-center in the four-run frame, then adding an RBI double in the seventh. Clayton finished the day 4-for-5 with three doubles and a homer.
Wilson doubled twice in the contest, leading off the game with one and coming around to score in Nevada's two-run first inning, then driving in two with his second double in the fourth.
UNLV scored seven times in the top of the third to erase an early Pack lead, and go up 8-2. Kade Higgins, who got the Rebels on the board with a solo shot in the second, hit a two-run shot with one out in the third to do the big damage against Pack starter
Jason Doktorczyk.
Doktorczyk ended up charged with nine runs (eight earned) on eight hits over four innings. UNLV starter Josh Sharman was knocked out of the game in the Pack's four-run fourth, and finished with a no-decision after giving up five runs on five hits over 3.1 innings.
