Wolf Pack hammer Rebels in home opener

In weather more appropriate to the Winter Olympics than a baseball game, the Nevada Wolf Pack won its home opener with a 6-0 shutout of rival UNLV Friday.

Senior hurler Tim Schoeninger gave up five hits and struck out six batters in seven innings to pick up his first win of the season. Travis Sutton pitched two strong innings to clean up for Nevada.

Dayton's Matt Bowman went 1-for-3 with a triple.

Right-fielder Shawn Scobee homered to right-center in the fourth to give the Wolf Pack the only run it would need as the Rebels struggled against Schoeninger, who didn't allow a runner to advance past second base.

The Denver native is no stranger to pitching in cold weather.

"You just have to have confidence," Schoeninger said. "You have the advantage because the hitters don't want to swing the bat."

Nevada coach Gary Powers was pleased with his starter.

"He (Schoeninger) did a good job of getting ahead of hitters. He had good command today. Tim's had three good games and only has one win to show for it. It's nice to be rewarded for a job well done."

UNLV's only rally came in the top of the seventh. Catcher Braden Walker hit a one-out single past the shortstop. After left-fielder Blake Gailen lined out to left for the second out, Carson City's Willie Bowman struck out swinging, but the wild pitch got past Nevada's catcher, Jordan Opdyke, and rolled to the backstop as Bowman reached first base. Rebel center-fielder Ryan Kowalski ran the count to full before taking an inside pitch for a called third strike to end the threat.

"I was just trying to make a good pitch," Schoeninger. "We thought he would be looking outside, so we tried to catch him on the inside corner. I thought I made a good pitch."

The wheels came off of the cart for the Rebels in the bottom of the seventh as Nevada scored three runs on one hit and three UNLV errors and left the bases loaded.

Scobee started the inning with a hard shot past the feet of the Rebel third baseman that rolled into left and was ruled an error. Scobee advanced when UNLV relief pitcher Koji Pupo balked while attempting a pickoff move to first. Wolf Pack first baseman Terrence Walsh hammered the next pitch into the snow that lay on the warning track in right-center for a triple, scoring Scobee. Opdyke walked to put runners on the corners and then the cold seemed to numb the defensive instincts of the Rebels.

After pinch hitter Garrett Carson struck out, Leo Radkowski missed on a bunt attempt. Walsh, charging hard down the third-base line, was caught fully two-thirds of the way home, but somehow managed to avoid the tag and return to third. On the next pitch, Radkowski hit a sharp grounder to third, but the throw home bounced in front of the Rebel catcher, off his chest protector and into foul ground as Walsh scored.

Ryan Foley then bounced back to the pitcher, who threw to second for a force out. Foley could almost be credited with an RBI for creative base running. When center fielder Durell Williams walked, Foley sprinted to second as if stealing. Inexplicably, the throw went out to second and Opdyke scored easily from third. David Ciarlo walked to load the bases before pinch-hitter Baker Krukow flied out to right to end the inning.

The Wolf Pack scored twice more in the eighth with consecutive singles by Scobee and Walsh, a sacrifice by Opdyke and a wild pitch.

After a rough start, the Wolf Pack appear to have turned their young season around.

"I wouldn't call it momentum," said Scobee. "The team knows how to win now. We're aggressive at the plate. We have confidence now."

Powers had a simpler formula.

"You get good results when you play the game the way you're supposed to."

Nevada raised its record to 2-5 while UNLV drops to 1-6. The series is scheduled to continue with games today and Sunday at Peccole Park, weather permitting.