Feb. 24, 2001
Box Score
LAS VEGAS - The UNLV baseball team jumped out to a seven run lead after two innings of play, but couldn't hold on, falling to Oregon State 11-9 on Saturday afternoon. The loss drops UNLV to 5-9 on the season. Oregon State, who defeated tenth ranked Clemson 10-9 earlier in the day, improves to 6-4 overall.
The Rebels opened the game with a five-run first inning. Trent Kitsch's two-run home run scored UNLV's first runs. Joe Jacobitz followed with a double to center field then reached third on a passed ball and scored on an error by the third baseman. Brad Hertel, who reached first on the error, later scored on another third base error.
UNLV put two more runs on the board in the second on another Kitsch home run. Kitsch scored Tony Schuler who reached on a single up the middle.
Oregon State battled back, putting four runs up in the third. UNLV answered with one run in the third when Jason Reuss, who reached on a triple to left center, crossed the plate on a Ben Johnson sac-fly.
Down 8-4 after four innings, the Beavers slowly brought themselves back into the game. Two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth brought them within one. UNLV scored an insurance run in the seventh to go back up by two. Hertel singled to right center and reached third on a Brad Beasley single. A Craig Hays balk sent Hertel home.
Oregon State posted another run in the eighth that went unmatched by the Rebels.
Down two outs in the ninth, the Beavers rallied with three hits to score three runs and pick up the victory.
UNLV's Brad Maloff (0-1), who gave up the go-ahead run in the ninth, took the loss. Craig Hays (2-1) picked up the win for Oregon State and Stephen Copeland earned his second save.
Freshman Robbie Van started on the mound for the Rebels. He pitched five innings and gave up six runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts.
Kitsch finished the game 2-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Schuler and Reuss also finished with two hits apiece.
Clemson and Oregon State play a third game on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. UNLV returns to the field on Tuesday when the Rebels host Southern Utah University 3:05 p.m.
