Nevada baseball earns first shutout

Sophomore right-hander Evan McMahan led the 26th-ranked Nevada baseball team to its first shutout of the season in a 5-0 victory over Sacramento State on Tuesday at Peccole Park in Reno.

The Wolf Pack improves to 21-4 while recording its first eight-game win streak since 2006.

The Pack returns to the diamond with a Mountain West series today through Sunday at San Jose State. First pitch between the Pack and Spartans (7-16, 1-8) is set for 6 p.m. Friday at Municipal Stadium in San Jose, Calif. Nevada posted a 5-2 record against San Jose State last season.

McMahan, freshman Jojo Romero, junior Zach Wilkins and junior Adam Whitt combined for a seven-hit shutout — Nevada’s first shutout since a 4-0 victory against San Jose State in the 2014 Mountain West Tournament. Freshmen Grant Fennell and Cal Stevenson each posted multi-hit, multi-RBI games to lead the Pack offense.

Nevada — who entered the game with the fourth-best win-loss percentage in Division I — improves to 21-4 overall with its eighth straight victory. The Wolf Pack is 14-1 at Peccole Park this season.

“The pitching staff was excellent today,” said head coach Jay Johnson. “We threw 97 pitches on the game with strikes, low strikes and changed speeds at a high level. On the other side, we swung the bat well with runners in scoring position. This was a good win against a good opponent.”

The Pack opened a 1-0 lead in the second inning after junior Bryce Greager led off with a double down the left field line. After being advanced to third, Greager scored the game’s first run on Fennell’s RBI single.

Fennell made it 2-0 with an RBI double to right field in the fourth inning, scoring senior Kewby Meyer from first base. Stevenson scored Fennell from second with an RBI single to center field.

The Wolf Pack plated two runs in the sixth inning to take a 5-0 lead. Meyer doubled down the right field line before scoring on Fennell’s RBI double in the following at bat. Senior Jordan Devencenzi bunted Fennell to third base before Stevenson scored the game’s final run with an RBI single.

Nevada scored five runs with eight hits and no errors. Fennell went 2-of-4 with three RBIs and two runs to lead the Pack. Fennell has started in the past three games as a designated hitter, batting .500 with seven RBIs and six runs. Stevenson went 2-of-3 with two RBIs. Greager went 2-of-4 with a single and a double.

Sacramento State went three-up, three-down in six innings and only put a runner in scoring position twice. McMahan improved to 2-0, allowing five hits and no runs with one strikeout in six innings of work. Romero, Wilkins and Whitt each pitched one inning without allowing a run.