April 20, 1999
LAS VEGAS - The UNLV baseball team lost three out of four games on its road swing through Utah. UNLV, 21-25 overall and 10-8 in the WAC (third place), lost two out of three WAC games in Salt Lake City on Thursday-Saturday, April 15-17. Utah won 4-3; UNLV won 13-9; and Utah won the rubber game, 9-8 in 10 innings. UNLV dropped the final game on the trip to Southern Utah University, 13-5, in Cedar City on Monday, April 19.
UNLV, over a one month period, has played 17 out of its last 20 games on the road. Utah defeated UNLV 4-3 in the first game of the trip on Thursday, April 15, at Franklin Covey Field. UNLV senior right-hander Bill Scheffels recorded his third straight complete game. He allowed 4 runs and struck out a career-high 9 batters. The Utes were led by designated hitter Nate Weese who was 1-for-4 with a key two-run home run.
UNLV won the middle game of the series 13-9 on Friday, April 16. The UNLV offense came alive by scoring 13 runs on 19 hits. UNLV once trailed in the game 6-1 after three innings. Senior shortstop Eliott Sarabia was 4-for-5; junior second baseman Matt Stoner was 3-for-5 and junior outfielder Ryan Ludwick was 2-for-4 with 4 runs scored. Utah won the series finale 9-8 in 10 innings on Saturday, April 17. Third baseman Mike Goff hit a solo home run with one out in the bottom of the 10th for the win off of senior right-hander Jimmy Smith. Ludwick hit his 11th home run of the season to give UNLV a 5-0 lead after two and a half innings. Ludwick batted .538 (7-for-13) in the series with 3 home runs and 7 RBI.
Utah then scored six runs in the bottom of the third to take a 6-5 lead. UNLV, trailing 8-5, scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to force extra innings. Southern Utah, 12-29, defeated UNLV 13-5 in a nonconference game on Monday, April 19. Senior right-hander Nick Roberts, 2-5, recorded the win for the Thunderbirds. He pitched 8 innings, allowed 4 runs (1 earned) and struck out 10. UNLV took an early 2-0 lead but SUU scored seven runs in the bottom of the third inning to break the game open.
UNLV will return home for a WAC three-game series against TCU on Friday-Saturday-Sunday, April 23-24-25, at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. Game times are 7:05 p.m.; 7:05 p.m.; 1:05 p.m.
