May. 1, 2005
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Chris Bonnell hit a bases-loaded single in the top of the 14th inning and that started the game-ending rally as UNLV baseball broke open a tense game with four runs in the frame to beat San Diego State 7-3 on Sunday afternoon at Tony Gywnn Stadium.
With the game knotted at three after four scoreless frames of extra-inning baseball, Rebel left fielder JC Sibley was hit by a pitch from SDSU reliever Brett Douglas to start the 14th. Mike Cruz then hit a bunt single and Zeke Parraz drew a walk to load the bases, bringing Bonnell to the plate. Dan Bruckart relieved Douglas for the Aztecs and Bonnell greeted him with a two-run single that put UNLV ahead to stay at 5-3. Ryan Bird added a RBI double and CJ Lang hit a sacrifice fly for the game's final two runs.
The Rebels moved to 22-24 on the year, 16-5 in the Mountain West Conference to stay in a tie for first with league-leading BYU. The Cougars won two of three against Air Force over the weekend and are also 16-5 in the MWC, 31-13-1 overall. SDSU dropped to 18-27 overall, 12-9 in the MWC.
UNLV reliever Kyle Tabeek was brilliant out of the bullpen for the Rebels, tossing six innings of shutout baseball despite giving up 10 hits in his longest outing of the year. Before today's game the longest outing for Tabeek was 2.1 innings of work against UC Irvine back on March 1 this season. Tabeek earned the win for the Rebels, moving his record out of the bullpen to 4-3. Eric Brock struck out Kevin Perry with two men on and two out to collect his first save of the year. Douglas (0-3) was charged with the loss for the Aztecs.
SDSU got on the board first, scoring a run in the bottom of the third inning on a James Guerrero double that scored Grant Desme. UNLV tied the game in the top of sixth on a solo home run off the bat of Zeke Parraz, his sixth of the year.
The game would not be tied long though as Quintin Berry stroked a solo shot of his own in the bottom of the frame off of UNLV starter Derek Rodriguez to push the Aztecs ahead 2-1. Rodriguez pitched well in his start, allowing three earned runs and striking out five in 7.1 innings.
UNLV forged ahead in the top of eighth inning when Bird hit another double, this one scoring Justin Tellam and Bonnell to give the Rebels a 3-2 lead. Rodriguez could not hold the lead though, giving up a lead off single to Berry to start the bottom of the inning and then a single to Guerrero that scored Berry and tied the game at three. Rodriguez got a fly out and then Efren Navarro Jr. got a ground out before turning the game over to Tabeek.
SDSU had a chance to end the game in the 11th inning but an outstanding defensive play by Sibley kept the Rebels in the game.
With two outs in the inning Sam Pepper drilled a double off the left field wall to bring Berry to the plate with a runner in scoring position. Berry, who finished the game 5-6, hit a single to left field and Pepper turned the corner and headed toward home plate. Sibley fielded the ball and fired a strike to Tellam to get Pepper out at the plate, extending the game.
Bird had a strong day at the plate, going 4-7 with two doubles and three RBI and Bonnell was 4-6 with two RBI. UNLV won despite getting outhit by SDSU 21-14.
UNLV remains on the road next weekend, playing a three-game series with Air Force in Colorado Springs, Colo., with the first game on May 6 at 1:00 p.m. (PT).
