Baseball: Wolf Pack tops Saint Mary's

MORAGA, Calif. - University of Nevada junior pitcher Brock Stassi (1-0) pitched 5.1 innings of shutout relief as the Wolf Pack defeated Saint Mary's College (1-2) 3-1 at Louis Guisto Field Monday afternoon. With the victory the Pack improved 3-1 after winning three of four road games to start the season. SMC fell to 1-2 on the year.

The game was tied 1-1 after seven innings of play but the Pack scored a run in the top of the eighth to go ahead 2-1. With one down catcher Michael Turay singled and moved to third base on second baseman Cullen Mahoney's double. Shortstop Kevin Rodland's ground ball to third scored the go ahead run.

In the top of the ninth inning first baseman Shaun Kort walked and moved to second base on a wild pitch. A sacrifice bunt by left fielder Jameson Rowe moved Kort to third where he eventually scored the insurance run on third baseman Garrett Yrigoyen's grounder to second base to make it 3-1.

Stassi retired the side in the bottom of the ninth inning to seal the victory. The lefty won his first game of the year and collected a pair of hits after starting the game at designated hitter. Mahoney (2-for-3,RBI) and Stassi had two hits each to lead the Pack. Mahoney, Rodland and Yrigoyen drove in the runs for Nevada.

Jimmy Munill (0-1) was tagged with the loss giving up the run in the eighth inning. Catcher Ryan Mulligan (2-for-3) and designated hitter Michael Cippola (2-for-3) led SMC with two hits apiece.

Nevada travels to Stockton, Calif. next weekend for a three-game series at Pacific starting Friday evening at 6:00 p.m.