Nevada Media Release5/19
The University of Nevada (31-22, 11-6 WAC) baseball team had to play extra innings to earn a share of the 2012 Western Athletic Conference Championship on Friday night at Les Murakami Stadium defeating Hawai`i (29-23, 9-8 WAC) 4-2 in 10 innings. With the victory the Wolf Pack improved to 11-6 in conference play and is assured of a share of their first WAC baseball title. A victory on Saturday would earn the Pack an outright conference championship.
Nevada and Sacramento State both have 11 wins but the Hornets have concluded WAC play at 11-7. New Mexico State (9-7) could possible catch the Wolf Pack and Hornets to make it a three way tie for first.
With the game tied at 2-2 in the top of the 10th inning Pack freshman Jay Anderson dropped down a bunt single and advanced to second on a throwing error. Jamison Rowe's sacrifice bunt moved Anderson to third base where he scored on Waipahu, Hawaii native Kewby Meyer's sacrifice fly to put the Pack up 3-2. With two down Brooks Klein doubled and scored Garrett Yrigoyen single to make it 4-2.
Pack closer Matt Gardner pitched a scoreless ninth inning to record his WAC leading13th save of the season as Nevada held on for the 4-2 extra inning victory.
UH scored a run in the first inning but Carlos Escobar's first triple of the season scored two in the top of the fourth to put the Pack up 2-1. The Rainbows tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth on a bases loaded walk where it remained until the Pack tallied two in the 10th.
Elliott Van Gaver (2-0) retired the only batter he faced in the bottom of the ninth inning with two out and two runners on base to earn his second win of the season. Gardner who set the school record for saves last week increase that total to 13 with a scoreless ninth inning. Lawrence Chew (2-3) suffered the loss allowing two runs in 2.2 innings on the mound.
Meyer (2-for-4,RBI) and Yrigoyen (2-for-5,R,RBI) led the Pack with two hits apiece. Escobar drove in two while Meyer and Yrigoyen had an RBI each.
Pi'ikea Kitamura (2-for-4,R,RBI) and Zack Swasey (2-for-5) had two hits for the Rainbows. Kitamura and Trevor Podratz each had an RBI.
The final game of the series is scheduled for 9:35 p.m. PT on Saturday night when Nevada will seek to win the title outright with a victory.
