Nevada 13, UC Riverside 3
Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024
Riverside, Calif. - Riverside Sports Complex
WP: Casey Burfield (1-0)
LP: Matthew Flores (0-1)

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Nolan Wilson capped an outstanding opening weekend at the plate with three hits and six RBIs, as Nevada captured its series at UC Riverside with a 13-3 win.

Justin Acal hit his second home run of the weekend, as well, capping an impactful debut weekend with the Wolf Pack (2-1). Acal and Wilson were two of four Pack hitters to post a three-hit Sunday, along with 3-for-5 days from Jesse Pierce and Jake Harvey.

Nevada took an early 3-0 lead after its half of the third, Sunday. Josh Catacutan walked to lead off the frame, advanced to second on Harvey's infield single, took third on a passed ball, then came across on Pierce's RBI single. RBI groundouts from JR Freethy and Wilson would close the scoring in the frame.

UC Riverside (1-2) got two back in the bottom half on Dominic Martinez' two-run, two-out single with the bases loaded.

But it would be all Wolf Pack from there. Michael Ball's RBI single scored Acal in the fourth, then RBI singles from Wilson and Acal in the fifth made it 6-2 Pack.

Nevada answered a Highlander run in the bottom of the fifth with three in the sixth to blow the game open. Two batters after Pierce's second RBI single of the game, Wilson rapped one down the line in left, scoring Harvey and Pierce to up the Nevada lead to 9-3. He would add a two-run double in the eighth, followed by Acal's two-run shot which capped the Wolf Pack scoring.

Nevada starter Peyton Fosher went 4.2 innings, giving up three runs on eight hits. Ethan O'Neal closed the fifth, spearheading a shutout, one-hit effort from five Wolf Pack relievers over the final 4.1 innings. Among the relievers, it was the returning Casey Burfield who picked up the win, tossing a shutout frame and not allowing a baserunner.

Matthew Flores was charged with four runs on four hits over four innings, taking the loss for the Highlanders.

Nevada is scheduled to return to action Tuesday at 2 p.m. at UC Davis, weather pending. Please check www.nevadawolfpack.com for updates.