Nevada’s sixth series of the season wielded its first series victory.
The Wolf Pack hung on to edge Air Force, 9-8, in Sunday’s series finale at Peccole Park and improved to 7-17, 4-8. The Falcons fell to 10-13, 2-10.
Evan McMahon came on in the top of the ninth after Air Force had pulled within one and put the tying run at second base. Two batters later, he induced a game-ending 5-4-3 double play to earn his second save of the season.
Mike Echavia’s sac fly in the bottom of the eighth, plating Keaton Smith who led off the frame with a double, proved to be the difference.
Air Force led 6-2 going to the bottom of the fifth, when Nevada pushed six across – four on one swing. Third baseman Jordan Pearce belted a grand slam, his third round-tripper of the year, to give Nevada an 8-6 advantage.
Pearce finished 3-for-4 with the slam and five RBIs.
Nevada was outhit 16-11 in the win.
Freshman starting pitcher Riley Ohl improved to 2-1 on the season, allowing seven runs on 12 hits over six innings. He struck out four and did not walk a single batter.
Air Force 7, Nevada 3
Nevada dropped to 0-6 coming off wins with a 7-3 home loss to Air Force on Saturday afternoon.
The Pack held a narrow 2-1 advantage through five innings. The Falcons took control with three runs in the top of the sixth and three more in the eighth.
Nevada finished with 10 hits and stranded 13 on base.
Mark Nowaczewski, a Reed grad, got the start and absorbed the loss. He allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits over 5.2 innings. He left in the top of the sixth with two outs, runners on first and second, and the game tied at 2-2. The bullpen was unable to immediately end the threat.
Echavia went 2-for-5 with fourth home run of the year, a double, two RBIs and a run scored. His solo shot in the bottom of the fifth put Nevada up 2-1.
Nevada 10, Air Force 2
Ace Trevor Charpie finally got some run support as Nevada ran past Air Force, 10-2, on Friday in the first game of the series at Peccole Park.
In his first five starts of the season, Charpie was averaging just 3.2 runs of support. The Wolf Pack was winless in those five.
The senior allowed two runs on eight hits over six innings to pick up his first win of the year. He struck out six and walked three.
Austin Dick struck out six and allowed just one hit over the final three scoreless innings to earn the save.
The Falcons are the worst pitching team in the Mountain West by a wide margin and it showed early as Nevada needed just two innings to chase the starter and get into the bullpen.
Nevada scored four times in the second (all with two outs) and Smith ripped a grand slam in the third. The Wolf Pack’s second baseman was the only Nevada player with more than one hit. He went 3-for-3 with the grand slam, a double, five RBIs and scored twice.
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