May 8, 2016
RENO, Nev. - TJ Friedl's two-out RBI triple into the right center gap broke an eighth-inning tie and lifted Nevada to a 6-4 win over San Jose State on Sunday afternoon at Peccole Park.
The Spartans (15-33, 6-21 MW) battled all day and tied the game at two different points, but the Wolf Pack (27-20, 16-8) was able to hang on and complete the sweep.
For a third consecutive Sunday, Josh Nashed gave the Spartans a solid start and was stuck with a no-decision. He threw 7.0 innings and yielded four runs on seven hits while striking out two and walking four.
Zach Wallace (L, 2-3) was tagged with the loss by virtue of giving up the two eighth-inning runs in relief. Graham Gomez came on and got the final out of the inning.
Dillan Smith (2-2, run, triple, walk) and Shane Timmons (2-4, run, double, RBI) led the way at the plate with two-hit days. Joe Stefanki (1-3, run, double), Ozzy Braff (1-4, run), Aaron Pleschner (1-4) and Brendt Citta (1-4, double, two RBIs) rounded out the eight-hit attack. Stefanki and Smith each finished at .500 on the weekend.
Nevada opened the scoring with a pair of doubles by Cole Krzmarzick and Justin Hazard in the bottom of the second.
San Jose State quickly got the run back on a quirky play in the top of the third. After the first two hitters went down, Smith laced a triple to the base of the wall in left center and slid in just under the tag of third baseman Bruce Greager. Moments later, with the ball still in Greager's glove, pitcher Trenton Brooks was called for a balk by standing on the rubber without the ball, sending Smith home with the tying run.
The Wolf Pack responded by making the third inning a long one for Nashed. A pair of hits and a fielder's choice loaded the bases, and a walk to Krzmarzick gave the lead back to Nevada. Greager followed up with a sacrifice fly to score Miles Mastrobuoni and make it 3-1.
With two on and two out in the fourth, Citta doubled over the head of right fielder Krzmarzick that scored Braff from second, but a nice relay by the Wolf Pack defense cut down Timmons at the plate to keep it a 3-2 game.
After Nevada tacked on a run in the fifth, the Spartans put together a two-run rally in the sixth to to draw back even. Stefanki and Timmons each doubled to bring a run in, and after Timmons moved to third on Pleschner's base hit, he scored on Citta's RBI fielder's choice.
San Jose State plays its final midweek contest of the season when it visits Saint Mary's on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m.