Brolsma, Mercer lead Nevada in loss

DARRELL MOODY

Appeal Staff Writer

RENO - University of Nevada proved that quick starts don't mean a thing.

Nevada scored five first-inning runs, but Cal Poly San Luis Obispo roared back with seven in the third, and three each in the sixth and ninth innings en route to a 13-9 nonconference baseball win over the Wolf Pack Saturday afternoon at Peccole Park.

The loss dropped Nevada to 6-8 going into the finale of the three-game series against the Mustangs today at 1 p.m.

"We got off to a really good start," Nevada coach Gary Powers said after his pitching staff yielded 22 hits to the Mustangs. "I was happy with the way we approached hitting the first couple of innings. Then we hit a dry spell and that hurt us. We didn't keep the pressure on them. Even though they scored seven in the third and then three, you still have to hit for nine innings. We didn't stay with it.

"We're just trying to get better everyday. We've got to put what's happened the first two days behind us."

The two brightest spots in an otherwise dismal day were Carson grads - relief pitcher Owen Brolsma and catcher-infielder Joe Mercer.

With Nevada trailing 10-6, Brolsma kept the Wolf Pack in the game with 2 2/3 innings of relief, allowing one run and three hits, and striking out three. Brolsma, in five relief appearances, has posted a 2.35 ERA.

"Owen did an outstanding job," Powers said. "He kept us as close as he could. He's trying to figure it out. One thing he's trying to do that other guys are having a hard time doing is keeping the ball down in the strike zone and letting the defense do the work. If you do that, you'll get a fair share of strikeouts."

The Wolf Pack closed to 10-9 in the bottom of the eighth when Gabe Mayorga doubled, Eric Newman singled and Mercer followed with his first homer of the season, a long blast over the right field fence.

"He threw me fastballs," said Mercer, who is slowly rounding into shape after having knee surgery in the fall. "I was just hoping it would give us momentum going into the later innings."

"I'm happy for Joe," Powers said. "He came up big. He got us back in the game. Joe's been hurt. He missed a lot early in the season. I think he's starting to be right (physically) now."

Cal Poly scored three times in the ninth, taking advantage of errors by Mayorga and shortstop Robert Marcial.

Nevada jumped on Cal Poly starter Jon Fleming for five first-inning runs on three hits - a run-scoring double by Jacob Butler and two-run homers by Chris Giminez and Gabe Mayorga, his first of the season.

The lead lasted until the third when the Mustangs sent 12 batters to the plate and scored seven times, knocking Patrick Mason, who was making his starting debut, from the box in the process.

Brandon Roberts produced a run-scoring single and run-scoring triple in the outburst. The triple came against Mason, and the single came against reliever Chris Scott, who yielded seven hits in 1 1/3 ineffective innings.

Nevada closed to 7-6 in the third when Butler homered to center on an 0-2 offering from Fleming.

The Mustangs scored three times in the sixth off Brandon Evans, who relieved Scott and wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth. The big blow was a three-run homer by Bret Berglund.