Junhyuk Kwon blasted a towering, three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to put Nevada ahead, and Ethan O'Neal got out of a runners-at-second-and-third, one-out jam in the ninth to seal the Wolf Pack's 7-5 rubber-game win over New Mexico Sunday.
The series win evened Nevada's Mountain West record at 3-3 and improved the Pack to 14-9 overall. Nevada will play a midweek game Wednesday night at UC Davis before returning to Peccole to host Washington State for a three-game set Friday-Sunday.
Sunday, Nevada's offense hit a lull which allowed New Mexico to climb back into it. The Wolf Pack left the bases loaded in each of the fourth and fifth innings, missing chances to break a 4-4 tie.
After going down in order in the sixth and seventh, Nevada saw itself behind on the board as the Lobos (12-11, 4-2 MW) took a 5-4 lead on Josh McAlister's solo homer to center in the top of the eighth.
New Mexico reliever Diego Alvarez was cruising, retiring nine-straight after getting an out to start the bottom half of the eighth. But Jack Metcho worked a full-count walk and Jake Harvey's bouncer had just enough on it to get past a diving Akili Carris at third, and the Wolf Pack was in business with two on and one out.
Enter Kwon, who smashed a 1-1 Alvarez offering high and deep to left, the no-doubter giving Nevada a 7-5 lead headed into the final frame.
The drama continued, as New Mexico opened with singles from Luke Mansy and Jordy Oriach against Dominic Desch before they were moved up a bag each on Tye Wood's sacrifice bunt.
Closer Ethan O'Neal came on and finished the job, stranding the runners with a strikeout of Will Asby and getting Carris to ground to Michael Ball at short.
O'Neal picked up his fourth save of the season, while Desch improved to 4-0 with the relief win, allowing just the one solo homer over 2.1 innings.
Taylor Holder opened the scoring for Nevada in the first, hitting a two-run shot to start what would be a 3-for-5, three-RBI day. Jackson Waller added his 11th RBI of the series with an RBI double in Nevada's two-run third.
Nevada Athletics contributed to this report.
