Reno, Nev. - Opening play at Nevada for a three-game set, the Tigers ran into a career performance on the mound by the Wolf Pack en route to a 5-1 loss on Friday, Feb. 27. Pacific (0-9) dropped the opening game of its series for the third-straight week while Nevada (8-1) improved upon its program-best start with the victory.

Trying to end their season-opening slide, the Tigers came up against a Wolf Pack pitcher in Justin Deitrich (2-0) who proved to be on a mission as the senior threw a complete game, one-run, victory to send Pacific to its record ninth-straight loss to start the year. Against Deitrich, the Tigers posted just five hits as the fourth-year Wolf Pack pitcher shut Pacific down after the fourth, relinquishing just one hit over the final five innings of action. 

The Tigers were able to get to Dietrich for a run in the fourth when junior Gio Brusa started things off with a double off the wall in right center while junior J.J. Wagner followed with an RBI single up the middle. Despite the hard hit balls and a rally brewing, the Tigers would make a base-running mistake to cut the inning short, stripping themselves of a chance to get to Deitrich any further. 

The mistake would be costly as Deitrich buckled down, striking out eight total Tigers while not allowing a hit over the middle innings until junior J.P. Yakel singled with two outs in the ninth for his second hit of the game. In support of Deitrich, the Wolf Pack were able to plate all five of their runs over the middle innings as they scored two in the fifth, two in the sixth, and a single run in the seventh for good measure. For Nevada, two-out and two strike hitting proved to be the difference as the Tigers could not get the close-out pitch necessary to put the potent Wolf Pack bats away.

Taking the loss for the Tigers was sophomore Will Lydon (0-3) who went 5.0 innings before losing his command in the sixth. He officially would give up five hits and four runs, three of which were earned while striking out two, walking two, and hitting two others. Out of the pen the Tigers would use three pitchers to close out the game but by then, the damage was already done. 

The Tigers and the Wolf Pack go for a second time on Saturday, Feb. 28 as they play the middle game of their series at Peccole Park. The game is scheduled for 1:00 pm.