Nevada 11, San José State 8
Saturday, April 13, 2024
Reno, Nev. - Don Weir Field at Peccole Park

WP: Casey Burfield (3-1)
LP: Micky Thompson (2-4)
SV: Ethan O'Neal (2)

RENO, Nev. - Nevada watched a late seven-run lead get whittled down to two, but reliever Ethan O'Neal stopped the bleeding and a timely insurance run in the eighth helped the Wolf Pack capture a fourth Mountain West series with an 11-8 victory over San José State.

The Wolf Pack (14-16, 9-7 MW) will go for its first series sweep of the campaign as the teams play the finale Sunday at 12:05 p.m.

The Wolf Pack scored four times in the seventh, highlighted by a two-run triple from JR Freethy, to break a three-run game open into a 10-3 advantage.

Things appeared to be in control until the Spartans (12-24, 7-10 MW) suddenly got within striking range just four batters into the top of the eighth. Nathan Cadena led off with a walk against Wolf Pack reliever Eddie Tierney, who had worked a 1-2-3 seventh. Tierney hit Hunter Dorraugh then walked Theo Hardy to load the bases, setting up Matt Spear's grand slam to left, making it a 10-7 game.

O'Neal took over, and, after a strikeout and a double, caught a break with the help of his defense. Robert Hamchuk drove an extra-base hit to right, driving in Jackson Forbes, but was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a triple as Jackson Waller relayed to Michael Ball, who delivered a dart to Derek Tenney at third for the tag and the second out. With the bases cleared, O'Neal stamped out the threat with a strikeout of Sebastian Orduno.

Nevada capitalized on a one-out fielding error by Spartan reliever Cade Van Allen, getting a key insurance run before O'Neal retired the Spartans in order to pick up his second save.

Casey Burfield made his first start of the season, and got a well-deserved third win of the campaign. Burfield struck out five over six innings, allowing just three runs on six hits. San José State's three runs off of Burfield all came in the fourth, the first on a sacrifice fly and the next two on RBI singles from Spear and Forbes which gave the Spartans a 3-2 lead.

Nevada's Justin Acal started his 4-for-4 day at the plate with a two-run homer in the second to open the scoring. He would go on the add an RBI single in the Wolf Pack's four-run seventh, finishing the day with three runs driven in.

After Freethy's RBI double in the fourth tied things at 3-3, Taylor Holder and Nolan Wilson each hit a solo homer of off Spartan starter Micky Thompson an inning later to make it 5-3 Pack. Jake Harvey added a solo shot of his own in the sixth, as Nevada hit four on the day.

Thompson would fall to 2-4 with the loss, giving up five runs on eight hits.

Freethy drove in three runs in a 3-for-4 day, all three of his hits going for extra bases (two doubles, a triple). Jackson Waller continued his breakout weekend, going 2-for-4 with three runs scored a day after going 3-for-3, and Derek Tenney added two RBIs.