Nevada soars past Air Force

The University of Nevada baseball team dropped the final game of a three-game Mountain West series, 7-5, at Air Force in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Sunday. The Wolf Pack won 8-4 on Friday and 12-8 on Saturday to take the series 2-1.

The loss dropped the Pack to 22-21 on the season and 9-12 in the MW. The Falcons improved to 12-30 and 5-16 in conference play.

The Wolf Pack currently sit in fourth place in the MW behind New Mexico (27-16, 17-4), who cracked the national rankings at No. 24.

Chasing the Lobos are San Diego State (22-21, 12-9) and UNLV (27-16, 11-10).

Trailing 5-2, Nevada scored three times in the top of the seventh to tie the score at five. Right fielder Brooks Klein’s double scored two runs to tie the game.

The Falcons scored twice in the bottom of the eighth and held on for the 7-5 victory. David Baska and Seth Kline had RBI hits in the inning off reliever Michael Fain.

Fain (2-3) was tagged with the loss allowing both runs in eighth. Alex Baker (4-3) earned the win pitching 2.2 scoreless innings.

On Saturday, the Pack trailed 7-6, but put together a two-out rally in the top of the eighth, scoring six runs to defeat the Falcons, 12-8.

First baseman Brett Jones walked to get the eighth inning started and with two down scored on center fielder Jamison Rowe’s RBI single. Left fielder Brad Gerig followed with a single that put runners on the corners for third baseman Austin Byler.

Byler laid down a bunt single that scored Rowe with the go ahead run. Designated hitter Hugo Hernandez drove in his fifth run of the game with a single that scored Gerig. Right fielder Brooks Klein delivered the knockout blow with a three-run homer over the right field fence and Pack led 12-7.

Hernandez led the Pack offense collecting career highs with four hits, five RBI and three doubles. Rowe and Klein added two hits each as the Pack totaled 14 on the day.

Byler extended his career and team season-high hit streak to 14 games with the bunt single in the eighth.