FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno State baseball team opened Mountain West play by splitting a doubleheader with Nevada on Saturday at Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium.
The Bulldogs defeated the Wolf Pack in the first game of the day after an electric 11-run fifth inning surged the Bulldogs ahead from a five-run deficit.
Nevada bounced back in the second game, defeating Fresno State 9-3.
With each team going 1-1 on the day, Fresno State advances to 7-11 on the season while Nevada progresses to 11-7 in 2025.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1 – Fresno State 15, Nevada 12
Nevada jumped ahead early, scoring seven runs in the first three innings to lead 7-2. Fresno State managed to chip away at the deficit with single runs in the second and third innings, but it was in the fifth inning that the Bulldogs made their statement. Fresno State's offense exploded for 11 runs, highlighted by doubles from Eddie Saldivar and Murf Gray, as well as a triple from Bobby Blandford. The inning turned a five-run deficit into a commanding 13-7 lead.
Though Nevada responded with three runs in the sixth and added single runs in the seventh and eighth innings, Fresno State's bullpen held firm in the late innings. The Diamond 'Dogs tacked on insurance runs in the seventh and eighth innings to stay ahead leading to a 15-12 win.
Game 2 – Nevada 9, Fresno State 3
The game began as a pitchers' duel, with both starters holding their opponents scoreless through the first two innings.
Nevada broke the stalemate in the third, plating three runs thanks to a series of hits and an RBI triple. Fresno State responded in the bottom half of the inning, scoring three runs of their own to tie the game, highlighted by Eddie Saldivar's RBI double and Justin Stransky's two-out single.
However, the Wolf Pack regained control in the middle innings, scoring single runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth to build a 6-3 lead. Fresno State's defense struggled, committing three errors that extended innings and allowed unearned runs.
The Wolf Pack added three insurance runs in the eighth inning to seal the 9-3 victory.
NOTES
The Bulldogs recorded nine doubles in game one, setting a program record for doubles hit in a single game.
Eleven out of the Bulldogs' 19 hits in game one were extra base hits.
Drew Townson earned his second straight win after recording his first win against Sacramento State on Tuesday.
Five Bulldogs hit .500 or better on the day, led by Cam Schneider who went four-for-seven in the double header with a pair of doubles.
JT Guerrero earned his first save as a Bulldog, closing game one without allowing a run.
Murf Gray hit three doubles in one game, just one shy of the individual program record for doubles hit in a single game, set in 1987.
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs will close the series on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. at Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium.