Bulldogs chew up Wolf Pack baseball
Appeal Staff Report
The University of Nevada baseball team lost the first game of a four-game Western Athletic Conference series 12-4 to Fresno State at Pete Beiden Field in Fresno, Calif., Friday night.
The loss was the first of the season for the Wolf Pack in conference play leaving it 4-1 in WAC action and dropping it to 12-10 on the season. The Bulldogs improved to 13-12 and 3-2 in the conference.
Fresno State scored a pair of runs in the first inning to take the early lead, 2-0. Trent Soares walked and moved to third base on Eric Wetzel's double. Steve Susdorf scored both runners with his single up the middle.
The Bulldogs added two more runs in the third to extend their lead to 4-0. Both runs were unearned as Nevada committed two errors in the inning. Wetzel scored the first run when he singled and moved all the way to third on a throwing error by Pack pitcher Rod Scurry on a pickoff attempt and he later scored on a wild pitch. Tommy Mendonca drove in the second run of the inning with a single to center field.
A three-run fifth inning got the Pack within a run at 4-3. Bulldogs starter Justin Wilson had not allowed a hit until Nevada designated hitter Terry Walsh led off the fifth with a double off the center-field fence. Dan Eastham made Wilson work, fouling off 10 pitches and singled to left field on the 14th pitch he saw in the at bat, putting runners on the corners.
A walk to Kevin Rodland loaded the bases for Travis Simas. Simas struck out for the first out of the inning and then David Ciarlo stepped to the plate. Ciarlo hit a ground rule double to center field that scored two and it would have plated three had the ball not bounced over the fence.
After a pitching change Jason Sadoian hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Rodland and Ciarlo moved to third base on the play. A walk to Matt Bowman brought Jason Rodriguez to the plate. Rodriguez hit the ball directly at the Bulldog second baseman to end the inning, but Nevada had pulled within a run.
That would be as close as the Pack would get as Fresno State scored eight runs in their next three at bats to win. Nevada scored its final run of the game on a bases loaded walk in the ninth.
Scurry (3-3) lost for the first time in four starts after allowing six runs, three earned, in five innings on the mound. He struck out six and walked three in the game. Bulldogs reliever Brandon Burke (3-3) earned the win, tossing three shutout innings of baseball.
Walsh led Nevada with two hits on the night as the Wolf Pack totaled just seven in the game.
Ahmady topped Fresno State with three hits and all three went for extra bases, two doubles and a home run. Susdorf and Ahmady tied for game-high honors with three RBI apiece.
The two squads play a doubleheader this afternoon at 2:05 p.m.