Feb. 20, 2005
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Unearned runs and one costly pitch doomed UNLV baseball Sunday afternoon as the Rebels dropped a 6-4 decision to in-state rival Nevada, Reno at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
Leading 1-0 heading into the fourth inning, UNLV gave up three runs to the Wolfpack, who didn't get a hit in the inning, but benefited from an error that allowed two runs to score. The following inning, UNLV starter Matt Luca had an 0-2 count on UNR's Jacob Butler with two on, but Luca's next pitch stayed over the heart of the plate and Butler drilled it off the scoreboard in left field for a three-run home run and a 6-1 Wolfpack lead.
Luca took the loss for UNLV, falling to 0-2 on the year. UNR starter Ryan Rodriguez improved to 2-1 and Wesley Dorsett earned his second consecutive save and third of the season. The Rebels lost their sixth-straight game, falling to 1-8. UNR improved to 6-3 with the sweep.
For the second time in three games, UNLV pushed a run across the plate in the first inning to grab a 1-0 lead. CJ Lang and Zeke Parraz led off the game with singles, and Matt Fry drove in Lang with a groundout. But the Rebels could not do any more damage against Rodriguez.
UNLV protected that lead through three innings, but the Rebels unraveled in the fourth.
Wolfpack second baseman Carlos Madrid was hit by Luca to lead of the inning and then stole second. Brett Hayes struck out, but Butler and Ben Mummy drew walks to load the bases. Ryan Sharman then grounded out, scoring Madrid and Baker Krukow followed that with a grounder to Rebel first baseman Efren Navarro Jr. The ball went through Navarro's legs, and the error brought home Butler and Mummy, making the score 3-1.
In the next inning Luca got Michael Vass to pop out and then struck out Robert Marcial before running into trouble. Madrid doubled and then Hayes drew a walk, brining Butler to the plate. After falling behind quickly 0-2, Butler took the next pitch he saw from Luca and deposited it off the scoreboard.
Justin Tellam answered that shot with a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth for UNLV, his second of the year, that made the score 6-2. UNLV got a run in the seventh on an RBI single by Fry to cut the lead to 6-3 and then had a rally going in the ninth.
Willie Bowman reached on an error with one out for the Rebels, and then moved to third on two consecutive balks from Dorsett. Lang then reached on another error, scoring Bowman and cutting the deficit to 6-4. Parraz and Fry ended the game though on groundouts.
UNLV remains at home for three games next weekend, hosting No. 3 Cal State Fullerton at Earl E. Wilson Stadium with the first game on Feb. 25 at 6:30 p.m. (PST).
