Nevada 9, UNLV 4
Saturday, March 23, 2024
Reno, Nev. - Don Weir Field at Peccole Park

WP: Theo Millas (2-0)
LP: Sam Simon (1-2)

RENO, Nev. - Nevada hit three home runs and jumped on UNLV early Saturday, powering to a 9-4 win to even the Silver State Series presented by America Credit Union weekend at Don Weir Field at Peccole Park.

The teams will play Sunday's rubber game at 12:05 p.m. Sunday's contest is also "Gary Powers Day," which will feature a special pregame ceremony recognizing the former long-time Nevada head coach.

Saturday, Taylor Holder started his 2-for-3, two-RBI day with a run-scoring double in the first, highlighting a two-run frame for the Wolf Pack (9-11, 5-3 MW). Holder would go on to cap the Wolf Pack's scoring, hitting a solo homer in the seventh.

Bryce Matthews, who drove in the second run with an RBI groundout in the first, drove in two more with a bases-loaded double in the third. Justin Acal's sacrifice fly plated Holder to make it 5-0 Nevada, giving starter Theo Millas a comfortable cushion with which to work.

Millas improved to 2-0 on the season with his outing. He held the Rebels hitless through three innings, and, despite allowing three solo homers, finished with a solid seven innings of five-hit, four-run ball with four strikeouts.

But the Wolf Pack provided its own power, as Jesse Pierce answered a two-run Rebel fourth with a solo shot to lead off the bottom half. Pierce also led off the Nevada seventh with a single, setting up Michael Ball's two-run shot which opened the Pack lead to four, at 8-4. Both Pierce and Ball led the Pack with three hits apiece, with Pierce scoring four times on the day.

UNLV (13-9, 3-5 MW) only had one hitter with two hits Saturday, as Kade Higgins finished 2-for-4 with one of the Rebels' three solo homers. Starter Sam Simon fell to 1-2 with the loss, giving up six runs on seven hits over six innings of work.

Casey Burfield wrapped it up for Nevada, giving up just one hit and striking out two over the final two innings.