May 2, 1999
LAS VEGAS - The UNLV baseball team was swept in a WAC three-game series by San Diego State on Friday-Sunday, April 30, May 1-2, at Earl E. Wilson Stadium at Roger Barnson Field in the final home series of the season.
UNLV, which lost to UNR 12-10 on Tuesday, April 27, at Reno, has now lost four straight. The Rebels are 24-29 overall and 13-11 in the WAC (tied for third place). San Diego State is 26-26 overall and 13-11 in the WAC.
San Diego State defeated UNLV 12-10 in the opening game on Friday night. SDSU led 4-3 after six innings. The Aztecs scored one run in the seventh and seven in the eighth to take a 12-3 lead entering the bottom of the ninth inning.
UNLV then scored seven runs in the ninth and had the tying runs on base. Senior right-hander A.J. Samadani recorded the final out of the game, to record his third save, when junior designated hitter Tony DeMarco flied out to right field.
San Diego State defeated UNLV 3-1 on Saturday night. Junior right-hander Aaron Harang pitched a complete-game, six hitter for the Aztecs to improve to 7-3. He allowed 1 run, 2 walks and 6 strikeouts. UNLV senior right-hander Bill Scheffels (3-4) continued his solid pitching. He pitched 8.1 innings, allowed 10 hits, 3 runs, walked 2 and struck out a career-high 13 batters. Scheffels has struck out 33 batters over his last three starts. This season, he has pitched 78.1 innings and has struck out a career-high 82 batters. In his four losses, UNLV has scored just 9 runs.
San Diego State completed the three-game sweep over UNLV with a 12-4 victory on Sunday afternoon. UNLV took a 4-3 lead after six innings. Junior second baseman Matt Stoner had a RBI single and junior catcher Harold Betts' two-run double in the sixth inning accounted for the runs. The Aztecs then scored 9 runs over the final three innings off of five Rebel pitchers. SDSU scored two in the seventh, four in the eighth and three in the ninth.
Samadani, 7-3, pitched 3.1 scoreless innings to record the victory. Junior right-hander Toby Harris, 2-5, suffered the loss. Shortstop Edgar Gonzalez led SDSU's 18-hit attack with a 4-for-5 performance with two solo home runs.
UNLV will conclude the 1999 regular season with six road games. UNLV will travel to Albuquerque to face New Mexico in a WAC three-game series on Friday-Sunday, May 7-9. The games will be broadcast on KSFN AM-1140 radio with Scott Robbs and Scott Taylor.
