May 28, 2004
Box Score
LAS VEGAS - The UNLV Rebels coasted to a 14-3 victory over San Diego State in Friday's second game at the 2004 Mountain West Conference tournament. With the win, the Rebels advance to tomorrow's 3 p.m. championship game while the Aztecs will face New Mexico in an elimination game tonight at 7 p.m. The Rebels have won seven straight MWC Tournament games and make their second straight finals appearance.
The Aztecs struck first in the bottom of the second inning, taking advantage of a throwing error by Rebel second baseman Ryan Ruiz, allowing third baseman Chad Corona to score.
The Rebels answered in the top of the third as junior third basemen Zeke Parraz hit a double to right field bringing in senior left fielder Andrew D'Angelo. Junior right fielder Eric Nielsen's single to right center before coming around to score on a ground ball hit by senior second baseman Ryan Ruiz.
UNLV, who posted five runs in the fourth inning, started their at bat with a towering solo shot by senior first baseman Eddie Gill. The scoring continued as Parraz singled through the left side to score D'Angelo before Nielsen put an exclamation point on the inning by launching a three-run shot over the wall in left center, making the score 8-1.
SDSU picked up a run in the on the bottom of the fifth as designated hitter Brock Ungricht singled through the left side, driving in shortstop James Guerrero.
In the top of the seventh, the UNLV center fielder Brent Johnson came around to score on a hit-and-run double by Ruiz, who would come around to score on a check-swing RBI single by designated hitter Ryan Bird. The Rebels pushed the score to 13-3 as D'Angelo hit a two-out, two RBI single through the left side.
Rebel Shortstop Peter White tacked on a run of his own as he knocked a solo shot over the wall in left in the top of the ninth, making the score 14-3 and totaling four homers on the day for UNLV.
UNLV starter, senior right-hander David Seccombe (9-3) kept the Aztecs quiet through seven innings, yielding just three runs on nine hits while striking out eight and walking two. Nielsen paced the Rebel offense, finishing 4-for-6 with two runs scored and four RBI. D'Angelo was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and three batted in while Ruiz also recorded two hits and two RBI.
Aztec starter Daryl Harang (6-6) lasted just three innings, giving up six runs on six hits while walking three and striking out two in the loss. Embrey was 3-for-5 with an RBI while Ungricht was 2-for-5 with an RBI and Guerrero was 2-for-4 with a run scored.
GAME 8 NOTES
No. 3 UNLV defeated No. 1 San Diego State in the winner's bracket semifinal game today. Only twice in the history of the MWC Tournament has the loser of this game appeared in the finals - BYU in 2002 (at Provo) and San Diego State in 2003 (at Albuquerque).
The Cougars lost 11-10 to San Diego State, but rallied to defeat UNLV 8-7 later that day and then went on to sweep the Aztecs Saturday (6-4 and 5-3) to claim the championship. SDSU lost 13-1 to UNLV, defeated BYU 7-6 later that day and then lost to UNLV 14-9 on Saturday in the finals. Overall, the loser of the winner's bracket semifinal game has been eliminated in the next game of the MWC Tournament twice in the last four years (UNM in 2001, BYU in 2000).
San Diego State faces New Mexico tonight at 7 p.m. New Mexico is in the MWC Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2001 (L 12-5 to SDSU).
San Diego State has made it to the finals of the MWC Tournament each of the past four years, winning the inaugural title in 2000 at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
UNLV now has a seven-game MWC Tournament win streak, including today's victory vs. the Aztecs (4-0 in 2003 and 3-0 in 2004). The Rebels are now 9-6 in MWC Tournament games.
SDSU is 14-7 all-time in the MWC Tournament and four of the seven losses have come at the hands of UNLV.
The No. 1 seed has won the MWC Tournament two of the last three years, while appearing in the finals three years straight. The No. 3 seed has one finals appearance, BYU in 2002 (tourney winner).
UNLV's Eric Nielsen stretched his hitting streak to 19 games-the longest in the MWC this season-with his first inning single today vs. the Aztecs. Nielsen was 4-for-6 with a home run and four RBI vs. SDSU.
SDSU's Rielly Embrey was 2-for-3 vs. Utah Thursday and 3-for-5 vs. UNLV today, while Chad Corona started the MWC Tournament with four straight hits, including a second-inning double vs. today vs. UNLV.
UNLV's Zeke Parraz recorded his seventh hit in the MWC Tournament with his third-inning single and added another in the fourth inning. Parraz was 6-for-6-an MWC Tournament record-Thursday vs. New Mexico and was 3-for-6 vs. the Aztecs.
UNLV's David Seccombe entered today's game having won seven of his last eight starts with the only loss coming to San Diego State. Today vs. the Aztecs, Seccombe posted his ninth victory of the year and tallied eight strikeouts, including three in the seventh as he struck out the side. Seccombe was the only player to be named MWC Pitcher of the Year three times this season.
