Feb. 25, 2005
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS - For the first time this season UNLV was on the right side of a one-run game, as Chris Bonnell's game-winning single with two out in the bottom of the ninth lifted the Rebels to a 6-5 upset of No. 6 Cal State Fullerton on Friday night at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
After the Rebels had knotted the score at five on a RBI single by Dylan Gaughen that scored CJ Lang and moved Ryan Bird to third, Bonnell followed with his clutch hit off Titans' reliever Vinnie Pestano.
Despite giving up the lead in the top of the ninth inning, Kyle Tabeek earned his first win of 2005 thanks to the Rebel rally. Pestano took the loss for CSF, his first decision of the year as well. UNLV snapped a six-game losing streak with the win and improved to 2-8. CSF dropped to 5-2.
It took the Rebels two rallies, one from a 4-0 deficit and then the dramatic ninth-inning to finally get a victory in a one-run game. UNLV had lost its previous four such outings, including two to No. 1 Texas.
The Titans put two on the board in the first inning and then added another two in the fourth off of Rebel starter Derek Rodriguez to grab a 4-0 lead after six innings.
Felipe Garcia went 4-5 and drove in two runs for the Titans, who seemed to have all the offense they needed with left-hander Ryan Schreppel on the mound. Schreppel carried a ten-inning scoreless streak into tonight's game and he was cruising along, pitching six shutout innings.
But things unraveled in the seventh for CSF.
Bonnell started the seventh with a single, and advanced to second on a balk by Schreppel. UNLV third baseman Willie Bowman then drew a walk, ending Schreppel's night. Rebel catcher Justin Tellam greeted CSF reliever Adam Jorgenson with a single, and then Jorgensen walked Sean Rand, plating UNLV's first run of the game.
The Rebels would score three more runs in the inning without getting a hit, benefiting from another walk, a sacrifice fly by Zeke Parraz and a wild pitch.
The two teams held each other scoreless in the eighth, but CSF broke through for a run in the ninth, as Garcia drove in Brett Pill on an RBI single, setting up the bottom of the ninth.
Lang began the inning with a single, and then moved to second on another Parraz sacrifice. Matt Fry then grounded out, moving Lang to third. Bird was then intentionally walked, setting the stage for Gaughen's and Bonnell's heroics.
The two teams will meet again Saturday at 2:00 p.m. (PST) at Earl E. Wilson Stadium for the middle game of their three-game set.
