April 17, 2005

Final Stats

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - UNLV starter Derek Rodriguez tossed the squad's first complete game this season as the Rebels beat Utah 11-3 Sunday afternoon at Franklin Covey Field.

Rodriguez (3-4) worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and was solid on the mound the rest of the way, allowing three runs on nine hits and striking out four. Behind his pitching performance and home runs by Zeke Parraz and Justin Tellam, the Rebels improved to 17-22 on the year, 11-4 in the Mountain West Conference. Bryce Freed (0-4) took the loss for the Utes, who fell to 12-22 overall, 5-10 in league play.

With the win UNLV remained one game back of conference leader BYU, which is 12-3 in MWC action, 26-9-1 overall.

Both the Rebels and the Utes missed opportunities to jump on the opposing starters early, squandering good scoring chances.

UNLV opened the game with a double by JC Sibley, who then moved to third on a ground out. Parraz drove Sibley home with a single and then Chris Bonnell was hit by a pitch. The rally was quickly halted when Tellam hit into a fielder's choice that turned into two outs to end the inning.

Utah had the bases loaded with no one out in its half of the first but Rodriguez got a fly out and after he walked Clayne Garrett to force in a run, Rodriguez got a double-play ground ball to end the inning. Rodriguez kept Utes' hitters in check all afternoon after they scored 15 runs on 18 hits during Saturday's game.

The Rebels put three runs on the board in the top of the fifth inning on RBI singles from Parraz and Tellam that gave the Rebels the lead back at 4-1. Utah scratched out a run in the bottom of the fifth on a Jay Brossman double that scored a run and then added another in the sixth on a RBI ground out by Trevor Eastman that brought Utah to within one at 4-3.

In the top of the seventh inning, CJ Lang led off with a double and he was driven in on a triple off the bat of Mike Cruz. Parraz then provided the Rebels with some more breathing room, drilling his third home run of the year with a man on, pushing the lead to 7-3. The Rebels plated another run in the inning on a RBI double by Ryan Bird.

Tellam gave the Rebels added insurance in the top of the ninth, hitting a two-run shot to left field for a 10-3 lead. It was the sophomore catcher's team-leading 10th home run of the year. Efren Navarro Jr. capped the scoring with a RBI double two batters later.

Parraz finished the game 3-5 with four RBI and two runs scored while Sibley did an excellent job setting the table for the Rebels, going 4-5 with two runs scored from the leadoff position.

UNLV returns home next weekend to face New Mexico in a three game series that begins Friday, April 22, at 6:30 p.m. (PT) at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.