SAN DIEGO - Dario Gomez drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the eight, and Pat Caulfield added an RBI single in the ninth as Nevada broke a late tie with San Diego State to take Friday's series opener, 6-3, at Tony Gwynn Stadium.

Nevada (26-21, 16-9 MW) will not only go for the series clinch in tomorrow's 6 p.m. game, but could also clinch a spot in Memorial Day Weekend's Mountain West Championship. The Pack can clinch that spot with a win, or an Air Force loss tomorrow afternoon at San José State.

Facing Aztec reliever Robert Brodell, Landon Wallace walked with one out in the eighth, and a two-out single from Matt Clayton set the table for Gomez's RBI single through the left side to put the Pack up 4-3.

An inning later, the Pack tacked on more two-out insurance, beginning with Caulfield's single which drove in Jacob Stinson and advanced Wallace to third. A throwing error from Aztec reliever Sauer on a failed pickoff attempt at first allowed Wallace to score and make it 6-3.

That was more than enough for Tyler Cochran, who struck out two and held the Aztecs hitless over the final three frames to improve to 4-2. Nevada starter Peyton Stumbo took a no-decision despite allowing just two runs on five hits over six innings.

Brodell took the loss for San Diego State, falling to 1-2.

Nevada struck in the sixth against Aztec starter Troy Melton, beginning with Joshua Zamora's go-ahead solo homer which put the Pack ahead, 2-1. Caulfield and Wallace reached on one-out singles, then executed a double steal with two away, leading to Gomez's RBI single through the right side, scoring Caulfield with the Pack's third run.

Melton would go seven innings, giving up three runs on 10 hits and getting a no-decision.

San Diego State inched closer two batters into the bottom half of the sixth, as Cole Carrigg drove in Poncho Ruiz with his second RBI of the game. Carrigg also gave the Aztecs an early 1-0 lead with a solo homer in the second.

The Aztecs (16-35, 8-17 MW) pulled even in the seventh. With Alejandro Murillo starting the inning in relief of Stumbo, San Diego State put the first two on behind a Kenny LeBeau double and a walk to Tyler Glowacki. Cochran came in for Murillo, allowing a sacrifice bunt, then a game-tying sacrifice fly to Caden Miller, before limiting the damage by striking out Ruiz to end the threat.