Nevada 11, Air Force 8 (10)
Monday, April 29, 2024
Erdle Field - USAFA, Colo.

WP: Ethan O'Neal (2-2)
LP: Doyle Gehring (1-3)

USAFA, Colo. - Two teams played a Monday afternoon conference matchup like the must-win game that it was, riding their closers to the very end, and it was Nevada, behind Ethan O'Neal, which outlasted Air Force, 11-8, in 10 innings.

O'Neal improved to 2-2 and went a season-long 5.2 innings after having not tossed more than two innings in a stint this year, striking out seven and giving up five runs to fend off a lean bullpen after the nearly four-game weekend for the Wolf Pack.

Monday's win was critical to Nevada's hopes of finishing in the top four of the standings and earning a spot at the Mountain West Championship, set for May 23-26 in San Diego. The Pack now sits at 13-11 in Mountain West play (and 20-21 overall), tied with San José State for fourth, and holding the tiebreaker over the Spartans with six conference games remaining.

Michael Ball drove in three of his five runs on the day in the Pack's five-run fourth, slamming his ninth homer of the year out to left. It capped a two-out rally which began with Justin Acal's solo shot to left, and continued with walks to Josh Catacutan and Jackson Waller, and an RBI single from Jake Harvey.

Nevada turned to its bullpen after Peyton Fosher's scoreless fourth. But Air Force got two runs back right away, as Chase Spencer led off with a double off of reliever Nico Wagner and Sam Kulasingam hit a two-run homer. Clayton Ray came on and got an out before issuing a walk and hitting a batter.

That brought O'Neal in, and Ball helped with his glove, diving to stop a grounder in the hole from Tripp Garrish before making the out at first. Ball's play saved a run, and O'Neal struck out Walker Zapp with runners at second and third to end the frame.

Ball drove in Catacutan with a two-out, RBI single in the top of the sixth to get one back, and JR Freethy hit his ninth homer of the season, a solo shot the opposite way, in the seventh to up the Pack lead to 8-3.

But Air Force chipped away. Jay Thomason's two-run homer in the seventh made it 8-5, and the Falcons added a sixth run on a sacrifice fly in the eighth to make it a two-run game.

In the ninth, Charlie Jones followed Thomason's one-out single with a double, driving in a run before advancing to third on a wild pitch. Jones would hustle home as Justin Acal made a sliding catch of Zach Peters' foul ball past third base, tying the game at 8-8 and sending it to extras.

Doyle Gehring, Air Force's durable closer, had come on with two out in the fourth inning in relief of starter Ben Weber. Gehring, on his fifth inning of work in the top of the 10th, allowed a leadoff single to Acal and walked Catacutan to give the Pack life.

Waller then roped an 0-1 delivery down the line in left and off the wall, scoring Acal and Catacutan to put Nevada in front, 10-8. Waller, who went 3-for-4 on the day to cap a sizzling weekend, would come home on Ball's one-out sacrifice fly.

Gehring fell to 1-3 with the loss, giving up five runs on seven hits over 5.1 innings.

O'Neal closed up the game, and the long weekend, by striking out Zapp and Connor Christenson to open the bottom of the 10th, then getting Kulasingam to fly out after a two-out double from Spencer.

Nevada has a week of non-conference action on tap at Peccole Park. The Pack hosts Saint Mary's Wednesday at 3:05 p.m., then welcomes Houston Christian to Reno for a three-game series beginning with a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.