Nevada wins back-to-back games for first time, was 0-9 coming off victory
For the first time in six tries, Nevada and San Jose State did not play a one-run game.
And for just the second time the season, Nevada won a series.
Behind a dominant effort from freshman Riley Ohl, the Wolf Pack (11-26, 7-11) pulled out a 6-2 home victory on Saturday to take two of three from the Spartans (13-20-1, 7-9-1).
It was the first time this season Nevada managed to win back-to-back games. It entered Saturday with an 0-9 record coming off a victory.
Ohl threw a career-high eight innings, allowing two runs on six hits to pick up his third win, which is tied for the most on the team. He struck out six and walked four.
With a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth, Nevada pushed two across to stretch the lead to three runs.
One night after delivering a walk-off single, senior shortstop Justin Bridgeman went 4-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored.
Nevada plays a non-conference game at UC Davis on Tuesday then returns to Peccole on Friday night to start a three-game series with Fresno State. The Wolf Pack dropped two of three at Fresno in early March.
Nevada 5, San Jose State 4
Nevada and San Jose State played a one-run game for the fifth consecutive game on Friday afternoon. For the first time, Nevada left with a win.
Bridgman delivered the walk-off victory with a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth. Bridgeman’s single followed Chase Grant’s pinch hit RBI single that tied the game.
Reed alum Mark Nowaczewski turned in the first complete-game effort of the season for the Wolf Pack. Nowaczewski allowed four runs (two earned) on eight hits. He struck out one and did not walk a batter.
Nevada led 3-1 after four before the Spartans added single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh to take a 4-3 lead that held until the bottom of the ninth.
The win was Nowaczewski’s second of the season.
San Jose State 6, Nevada 5
Nevada scored single runs in the eighth and ninth innings to get within one run in Thursday’s series opener, but could not complete the rally in the final ups with the tying run at first base.
The Wolf Pack fell to 2-9 in one-run games and dropped its fourth straight to the Spartans. All of the losses coming by a single run.
With two down in the bottom of the ninth catcher Marco Valenzuela’s first collegiate home run closed the gap to 6-5. His homer came just after Kaleb Foster was caught off base on line drive that turned into a double play. Pinch hitter Dillan Shrum singled after the home run but a ground out ended the game.
SJSU scored twice in the top of the second inning to take the early advantage 2-0. The Pack scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth to move in front 3-2. Second baseman Keaton Smith’s double plated the final two runs of the inning. The Spartans got a solo home run from Chris Williams in the seventh to tie the game at 3-3.
In the eighth Pack reliever Grant Ford retired the first two hitters but a single and walk brought pinch hitter Jack Veasey off the bench. Veasey hit a three-run shot that scored the winning runs as the Spartans led 6-3 and went on to win 6-5.
The defeat was Nevada’s eighth in nine series openers.
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