Nevada baseball beats UC Davis

RENO - Shawn Scobee admitted that he was starting to wonder when Nevada was going to end its losing ways.

He doesn't have to wonder any longer.

Scobee slammed two solo homers, and Dayton's Matt Bowman and David Ciarlo added one homer each, to lead the Wolf Pack a 14-8 nonconference baseball win over UC Davis Tuesday night at Peccole Park.

The win snapped a season-long six-game losing streak. The last Pack victory was a 5-1 win over Utah Valley State back on April 23. Nevada improved to 18-26 and UC Davis dropped to 14-30.

"A little bit," Scobee said when asked if he ever wondered whether Nevada would win another game. "Against San Jose State, we battled all three games. Fresno State? I don't want to talk about that. We didn't dwell on what we did last weekend.

"I saw the ball real well today, even in batting practice. I was sitting on off speed and hitting the fastball. I was hitting everything today. It feels good for us to get on the right page."

The triumph showed veteran coach Gary Powers that his team, which has gone through a lot of adversity this year, still had a little bit of fight left. Nevada, not once but twice, came from behind against the Aggies.

"If they were going to lay down, they had two chances," said Powers, who watched his team overcome 3-0 and 7-6 deficits. "That says a lot about them. I always thought they had character.

"We all needed a win; all of us needed it. With what we've been through the last three weeks, it's been tough."

What Powers liked was that seven of the nine starters had at least one hit, and Ciarlo came off the bench with a two-run homer and run-scoring double. In all, Nevada cranked out 17 hits, three by Bake Krukow and two each by Ciarlo, Durrell Williams, Scobee and Ryan Foley.

"That was good to see," Powers said. "David has been struggling offensively and defensively. We tried to get him to relax and watch a little bit. He made an error, but he settled down and hit a two-run homer and a run-scoring double or triple (actually double)."

And, it gives the Pack some much-needed momentum heading into this weekend's home WAC series against Sacramento State.

"Hopefully we can put some wins together this week," Bowman said. "We're at home and we have two night games. We have to show the fans we're not as bad as we're playing."

Though you had to wonder after the first inning when UC Davis wasted little time in jumping on starter Adam Colton, who was making just his second appearance of the season since having Tommy John surgery more than a year ago.

After four pitches, which included a bunt single by Brandon Oliver, a double to the gap in left-center field by Daniel Descalso and a fly out by Tyler LaTorre, the Aggies had a 1-0 lead. After Lukas Kirby struck out, Aaron Hanke doubled to deep center, scoring Descalso. Michael Hernandez singled home Hanke to make it 3-0.

Nevada broke loose for five runs in he third off Davis starter Brad McAtee. Foley walked and moved to third on a single by Williams, who took second when the relay throw went awry. Krukow singled home both runners, extending his hitting streak to four games.

Bowman followed with a two-run off-field homer to right to make it 4-3. It was the second consecutive game he's homered. Scobee followed with a towering homer to left, his 16th of the year, to make it 5-3. Terry Walsh doubled, but McAtee retired the next two hitters.

"After we put up that five spot we got our confidence going," Scobee said.

The Aggies made it 5-4 in the fourth when Hernandez and Kevin James hit back-to-back doubles. Carson's Owen Brolsma, who was credited with his first win of the season, retired the next two hitters to end the inning.

Nevada made it 6-4 in the fourth when Foley singled, stole second and scored on Krukow's single to center.

Davis took its last lead, 7-6, with three runs in the fifth, though Brolsma wasn't really to blame.

With Oliver at second and one out, LaTorre bounced one back to Brolsma, who had Oliver trapped between second and third. Oliver managed to get back to second safely when third baseman Dan Eastham tried to tag Oliver instead of throwing the ball to Bowman at second base. Kirby forced LaTorre at second, Oliver taking third. Hanke followed with a three-run homer to left field. Brolsma retired the side without any further damage.

Instead of going into the tank, as it has shown a tendency to do all year, Nevada rebounded with a vengeance.

The Pack scored three times, two on Matt Suleski's single and once on a run-scoring one-bagger by Foley, to take a 9-7 lead. UC Davis never recovered.

Ciarlo's two-run bomb made it 11-8 in the seventh, and Scobee led off the eighth with his second blast, sparking a three-run inning.

Scobee, who has been the main power source and one of two bright spots offensively in an otherwise dismal season, said he hasn't felt any added pressure from coaches or his teammates to constantly produce.

"I'm more comfortable this year," he said. "I'm a lot more relaxed at the plate this season.

"I always expect to go up there and hit the ball hard. I expect to get the job done each time. I feel pressure from within. I put pressure on myself."

Well, with two weeks left in the season, there is plenty of pressure on the Pack, who are just a half-game ahead of New Mexico State for the final playoff slot in the conference tournament.

"I hope so for the kid's sake," said Powers when asked if the win would give the team some much-needed momentum. "It's been a long season. We've had to deal with a lot of adversity."

Notes: Bowman made his second start of the season at second, handling five chances without an error. He's not sure whether he will stay there or not, especially since Nevada is shaky at third base ... Nevada had lost 10 of its last 12 entering the game ... Freshman Andy Matthews drove in his first run of the year with an eighth-inning single.

•Contat Darrell Moody at dmoody@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1281