San José State 7, Nevada 5
Saturday, April 12, 2025
Reno, Nev. - Don Weir Field at Peccole Park

WP: EJ McGrew (5-1)
LP: Ethan O'Neal (0-2)
SV: Tyler Albanese (5)

RENO, Nev. - Rocco Caballero's three-run double with two out in the ninth put San José State in front, and Spartan closer Tyler Albanese struck out Sena Yamaguchi with two on in the bottom half as Nevada dropped the series with a heart-breaking 7-5 loss at Don Weir Field at Peccole Park.

Wolf Pack closer Ethan O'Neal came on in the ninth holding a 5-4 lead, but the Spartans (20-15, 8-6 MW) managed to put runners at first and second with a walk and a hit-by-pitch with two out. O'Neal walked Antonio Nanez on a full count to load the bases, and was up a strike on Rocco Caballero, but Caballero lined the next offering past third and into the corner in left. All three runners came around to score, and suddenly the Pack was staring down a two-run deficit.

Facing Albanese, Jacob Doyle gave life to the frame by reaching on a throwing error from JC Osorio-Agard at third. Three batters later, Jayce Dobie kept hope alive with a walk, bringing up Yamaguchi. But Albanese got ahead 1-2 and got Yamaguchi swinging to end the game and pick up his fifth save.

O'Neal took his second loss of the campaign, as Nevada dropped its first decision this season when leading after the eighth inning. McGrew, who had given up back-to-back singles with two out in the seventh to allow an inherited run to score and put Nevada (19-15, 7-7 MW) up 5-4, got the win to improve to 5-1.

Nevada will try to avert a sweep Sunday as the teams face off at 12:05 p.m.

Saturday's contest was a back-and-forth affair, featuring three lead changes. Jake Harvey, who led the Pack with three hits on the day, drove in Jackson Waller with a single up the middle to break up a 1-1 tie in the second, and Yamaguchi hit a solo shot in the third to make the lead 3-1.

Caballero picked up the first of his four RBIs on the day with a solo homer in the fourth, and Alex Fernandes tied it up in the fifth, lining a double to left-center to plate Jake McCoy. The Spartans would take their first lead as Nanez followed with an RBI single, scoring Fernandes to make it 4-3.

San José State missed a chance to add onto its lead in the sixth, chasing Wolf Pack starter Alessandro Castro then loading the bases with a walk and two singles off of reliever Caedon Kottinger. But Kottinger escaped by getting Jake Maroney to fly out to right.

Nevada responded right away with Billy Ham's solo homer in the seventh, then took the 5-4 lead on Yamaguchi's two-out RBI single in the eighth.

Yamaguchi finished the game 2-for-5 with the homer and two RBIs, while Jayce Dobie also had two hits.

On the mound, Castro took a no-decision, going 5.1 innings and giving up four runs on five hits with two strikeouts. Reliever Dominic Desch came on for Kottinger after the sixth and threw shutout frames in the seventh and eighth, striking out two.