Nevada 4, UNLV 1
Friday, April 19, 2024
Las Vegas, Nev. - Earl E. Wilson Stadium
WP: Jason Doktorczyk (5-2)
LP: Austin Cates (5-3)
SV: Ethan O'Neal (3)
LAS VEGAS - Jason Doktorczyk added another exhibit to his case for Mountain West Pitcher of the Year Friday night in Las Vegas, silencing Rebel bats over eight innings as Nevada took the series opener, 4-1.
Doktorczyk improved to 5-2 on the year, striking out eight and allowing just one run on three hits. The reigning Mountain West Pitcher of the Week put himself well in line for a second-straight honor, retiring the final 12 batters he faced, not allowing a hit since the fourth inning, and striking out six of the final nine batters he faced.
Nevada (16-18, 10-8 MW) took an aggressive approach at the plate against UNLV ace Austin Cates, lashing out hits in each of the first two innings. Trailing 1-0, the Wolf Pack got on the board as
Mason Hirata smashed a solo home run to lead off the third.
The Pack bashed 11 hits off of Cates, who fell to 5-3 on the year, giving up four runs over seven innings. Nevada took the lead for good in the fifth, with Hirata once again setting the table. Hirata, who went 2-for-3 with a walk on the night, doubled to lead off the inning, took third on
Jake Harvey's fly ball to center, and scored on
Jesse Pierce's sacrifice fly to left.
Nolan Wilson made it 3-1 with a one-out solo shot in the sixth.
Bryce Matthews followed with a double, and came around as Harvey lined a single past Cates and into center, upping the lead to 4-1 over the Rebels (19-18, 7-12 MW).
Doktorczyk only got stronger as the night went on. He put up the shutdown inning the Wolf Pack needed in the bottom of the sixth, striking out the side. He would finish his night with another strikeout, getting JP Hefft swinging to end the eighth.
Ethan O'Neal came on against his former team in the ninth, and struck out the side for his third save.
UNLV got its lone run in the third, as Austin Kryszczuk doubled to lead off the frame, and came in three batters later on Chase Ditmar's grounder to second. UNLV threatened just once more, with Parker Schmidt's one-out triple, but Doktorczyk struck out Brendan O'Sullivan then got out of the inning on Ditmar's groundout to third.
Nevada has the chance to take the second series of the season from UNLV Saturday night, with first pitch set for 6:05 p.m.
