March 8, 2011
Box Score
DAVIS, Calif. - UC Davis tied the game with a run in the bottom of the sixth, but Nevada's Nick Melino hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh to give the Wolf Pack the 3-2 win Tuesday at Dobbins Stadium in Davis.
The Aggies drop to 2-9 overall while Nevada picked up its first win of the season to move to 1-9.
Despite giving up seven hits, Aggie starting pitcher Scott Lyman allowed only two earned runs and walked only two while striking out seven Wolf Pack batters. Lyman went five full innings before being replaced by Nathan Slater.
Behind catcher Scott Kalush, the Aggie defense caught a Nevada batter trying to steal base five times during the game.
The game remained scoreless until the fourth inning, despite several close calls from both teams. In the top of the second, Nevada found themselves with runners on second and third with two outs, but Aggie pitcher Scott Lyman struck out Loren Gardner-Young to get out of the inning safely.
Nevada scored the first runs of the game in the fourth inning, going up 2-0 after Michael Turay's base hit up the middle allowed Joe Kohan and Hugo Hernandez to score.
The Aggies cut the Wolf Pack lead in half with a run in the bottom half of the inning as Lyman reached base after Hernandez, playing first base for Nevada, dropped the throw from third base and was charged with an error. Lyman advanced to second on a ground out by Paul Politi, then scored off a base hit by Eric Johnson.
Nevada loaded the bases with only one out in the fifth, but Lyman got the Aggies out of the jam again by striking out Kohan and Garrett Yrigoyen to end the inning.
UC Davis would tie the game a two runs apiece by scoring in the sixth. With two outs, Politi doubled into left field, then Johnson followed that with a double of his own to bring Politi home.
Melino's homer came with two outs in the seventh after Slater had struck out the first two Wolf Pack hitters. Nevada took a 3-2 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, Heylman walked, then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Ryan Allgrove and a Brett Morgan single, but the Aggies were unable to score. UC Davis got another chance in the eighth inning as Politi led off with a base hit. Corbin Cutshaw was called in to pinch run and stole second successfully but got tied up and stumbled while trying to steal third with two outs and was thrown out.
Slater was charged with the loss to move to 0-3 while Braden Shipley earned his first win of the year. Matt Gardner got the save for the Wolf Pack.
Popkins, Politi and Johnson each hit 2-for-4 and Johnson added two RBIs and a double while Morgan and Heylman each had a hit.
For Nevada, Turay was 3-for-3 with two RBIs while Melino was 3-for-4.
UC Davis returns to action at the Jack Gifford Memorial Tournament, co-hosted by Santa Clara and San Jose State. The Aggies face Utah on Thursday at 6 p.m. at SJSU's Municipal Stadium to start the tournament, before continuing play through the weekend.
