Nevada 2, New Mexico 0
Saturday, May 11, 2024
Albuquerque, N.M. - Santa Ana Star Field

WP: Casey Burfield (4-1)
LP: Brett Russell (4-2)
SV: Ethan O'Neal (4)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - A one hour, forty-five minute lightning delay ahead of Saturday's contest did nothing to ice Nevada starter Casey Burfield. The Wolf Pack hurler turned in a career outing, matching his personal best by going seven innings, not allowing a run, and striking out four against just five hits as Nevada evened the series at New Mexico with a 2-0 win.

Burfield improved to 4-1 with the win, which was sealed up by closer Ethan O'Neal, who worked the final two innings for his fourth save.

Nevada (22-24, 14-12 MW) forced yet another rubber game, its sixth out of nine series in Mountain West play, which will start Sunday at 11 a.m. PT.

Saturday, Burfield and Lobo counterpart Brett Russell put up matching zeroes through the first four innings. Nevada struck first thanks to a New Mexico miscue in the fifth, as Justin Acal reached with two outs as the third strike went wild and away from Lobo catcher Jake Holland. Given new life, the Pack capitalized—Josh Catacutan singled through the left side, then Derek Tenney went up the middle to plate Acal for the 1-0 lead.
Burfield and O'Neal would strand seven New Mexico baserunners on the day, including five in scoring position. Acal started double plays in the first and fourth innings, the latter helping nullify a two-on, none-out situation. With a runner at third and two out, Burfield struck out Tye Wood to maintain the fragile one-run lead.

New Mexico (26-22, 15-11 MW) put runners at the corners in the sixth, but with two away, Burfield got Ethan Ott to ground out to second.

Another Lobo wild pitch in the eighth, this one from reliever Jaren Jackson, helped the Wolf Pack double its lead. Michael Ball tripled to right-center with one out, then scampered home as Jackson's first pitch to JR Freethy got away.

The Lobos would create one last two-on situation in the ninth, but O'Neal rebounded from giving up a leadoff single. He struck out Reed Spenrath, got Ott to fly to right, then, after a two-out single from Wood, induced a game-ending grounder to short from Gene Trujillo.