Feb. 11, 2005
Final Stats
AUSTIN, Texas - UNLV stood toe-to-toe with No. 1 Texas on Friday afternoon, but errors proved costly as the Rebels lost 4-3 to the top-ranked Longhorns in the opener of a three-game series at Disch-Falk Stadium.
Two of Texas' four runs were unearned, and both came with UNLV starter Matt Luca on the mound. In two starts this season, Luca has allowed just two earned runs.
With the loss, UNLV dropped to 1-3 on the season while Texas moved to 5-0 and is now 4-0 IN 2005 against the Mountain West Conference after it swept three games from San Diego State to open the season. Clayton Stewart (2-0) earned the win for UT and Matt Wagner took the loss (0-1) for the Rebels.
Texas scored the first run of the game in the fourth inning, benefiting from two costly wild pitches from Luca. With two out, Chance Wheeless singled through the right side of the infield, keeping the inning alive for UT. Wheeless advanced to second on a wild pitch from Luca and then moved to third on a single by Calvin Beamon. Luca then threw his second wild pitch of the inning, allowing Wheeless to score.
UNLV knotted the score at one in the top of the fifth inning after CJ Lang scored on an error by Wheeless. Lang led off the inning with a walk and then stole second. After Justin Tellam grounded out and Willie Bowman struck out, Ryan Kowalski singled and Lang, who advanced to third on the play, scored when Wheeless misplayed the ball.
Texas picked up two more runs in the fifth to build a 3-1 lead. Clay Van Hook began the inning by reaching on an error by Lang, and then UT's Drew Stubbs singled, putting runners on the corners. Luca then walked two consecutive Longhorns, scoring Van Hook. Wheeless then grounded out, scoring Stubbs. Both runs in the inning were unearned.
The Rebels again battled back to tie the score in the sixth, as UNLV took advantage of a Texas miscue.
Tyler Beranek led off the top of the sixth with a single, and after a pop-out, Ryan Bird doubled to right, moving Beranek to third. Lang then reached on an error by Longhorn shortstop Seth Johnston, scoring Beranek. Sean Rand knocked in UNLV's second run of the inning, driving in Bird on a sacrifice groundout to third.
Texas took the lead for good in its half of the seventh, when Johnston hit a single, stole second and third and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Teagarden. JB Cox pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his first save of the season for the Longhorns.
UNLV and Texas play the second of their three-game series on Saturday, Feb. 12, with the first pitch scheduled for 12:00 p.m. (PST).
