Baseball: Kort breaks Nevada's games-played record

RENO, Nev. - University of Nevada (31-19-1) senior first baseman Shaun Kort played in his 226th career game in the Silver & Blue on Tuesday night at Peccole Park breaking the school record for games played as the Wolf Pack defeated UC Davis (21-27) 8-6. Kort moved past Matt Maguire (1999-02) into first place on the list and his double in the seventh inning leaves him one hit shy of 300 for his career. With the victory the Wolf Pack improved to 31-19-1 on the season while the Aggies fell to 21-27.

Nevada trailed most of the game but scored the final six runs of the game to win 8-6. Down 6-2 going to the bottom of the fifth inning the Pack tallied four runs to tie the game. After second baseman Cullen Mahoney singled and scored the first run of the inning on an error, center fielder Jamison Rowe walked and came around to score on right fielder Brian Barnett's double. Designated hitter Brock Stassi followed with his ninth home run of the season to tie the game at 6-6.

In the bottom of the seventh inning Barnett's team leading 14th home run of the season scored Kort who doubled and the Pack led 8-6. Reliever Jesse Rasner pitched a scoreless eighth inning and closer Tyler Graham earned his seventh save of the season tossing a perfect ninth inning as the Pack held on for the two-run victory.

UCD got an RBI single from designated hitter Alex Dreyfuss and catcher Kyle Sanders reached on a fielders choice in the top of the second that scored a run to put the Aggies up 2-0. Nevada scored two in the bottom half of the second to tie the game when Stassi doubled home Barnett who singled and he later scored when shortstop Joe Kohan reached on a fielders choice.

The Aggies got two runs in the top of the third inning on third baseman Paul Politi's single and two more in the top of the fourth on left fielder David Popkins' two-RBI triple to take a 6-2 advantage. That would be all the scoring for UCD as the Pack rallied scoring the final six runs of the game to win 8-6.

Reliever Jared Harvey (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings to win his second game of the season. Graham recorded his seventh save of the year retiring the side in the top of the ninth inning. It was his third save in his last three outings.

Barnett (3-for-3,3R,3RBI) led the Pack with three hits while Stassi (2-for-4,2R,3RBI) added two and both finished with three RBI in the game. In his last two games Barnett is a perfect six-for-six at the plate with six runs scored, a double, a triple, three home runs and 10 RBI. Left fielder Nick Melino (1-for-3) extended his career and team season-high hit streak to 16 games with a double in his last at bat in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Popkins (3-for-5,R,2RBI) and Politi (3-for-4,R,2RBI) led UCD with three hits and two RBI apiece. Second baseman Scott Heylman (2-for-4,R), first baseman Eric Johnson (2-for-4,R) and Dreyfuss (2-for-4,RBI) finished with two hits each.

The Pack begins a four-game Western Athletic Conference series hosting Louisiana Tech on Friday for a doubleheader that gets underway at 2:00 p.m. at Peccole Park. Saturday and Sunday's single games start at 1:00 p.m.