Nevada 7, CSU Bakersfield 4
Monday, Feb. 24, 2025
Reno, Nev. - Don Weir Field at Peccole Park

WP: Eric Valdez (1-0)
LP: Jacob Gutierrez (0-2)

RENO, Nev. - Nevada was opportunistic once again Monday, capitalizing on three CSU Bakersfield errors en route to taking the four-game series with a 7-4 win at Don Weir Field at Peccole Park.

The win also evened the Wolf Pack's record at 4-4, with another four-game home series on tap this coming weekend. Nevada hosts Northern Colorado beginning Friday at 2:05 p.m., with a Saturday doubleheader scheduled to start at 11:05 a.m. Followed by a 12:05 p.m. first pitch Sunday.

Monday, Nevada also benefitted from untimely shifts in the Roadrunner defense, primarily in its three-run third inning. With a runner on first and none out for Nevada, Michael Ball hit what would normally be a tailor-made double-play ball to short, but, with CSU Bakersfield's defense aligned with three fielders on the left side, shortstop Elijah Pelayo did not have a play on lead runner Junhyuk Kwon and had to make the play at first.

With one out and the tying run at second, Nevada capitalized. Lewis Barnum V booted a Sean Yamaguchi grounder to put runners at the corners, then Taylor Holder tied the game with a sacrifice fly. Billy Ham and Jacob Doyle then doubled and singled, respectively, to drive in a run apiece to make it 3-1 Nevada.

Ham and Doyle each had three hits on the day, with Ham knocking two doubles and Doyle driving in two runs while doubling himself.

Wolf Pack starter Jayce Dobie went 4.2 innings, giving up just two runs and striking out four before handing the ball off to reliever Eric Valdez. Valdez got the win in relief, tossing 1.2 scoreless innings.

Nevada opened it up beginning with Ham's RBI single for another unearned run in the fifth. After Donovan Ratfield's solo homer in the sixth, a Roadrunner throwing error put Jack Metcho aboard, and he would come around on Kwon's RBI single.

Doyle would cap the Wolf Pack scoring with a seventh-inning RBI single, driving in Ham.

Jacob Gutierrez fell to 0-2 with the loss for CSU Bakersfield (2-5). Only one of the six runs scored on his watch was earned, as he also surrendered seven hits.