June 4, 2005

Final Stats

TEMPE, Ariz. - Down to its last two outs UNLV baseball staged an amazing comeback, scoring five runs in the top of the ninth inning to beat East Carolina 5-3 in an elimination game in the Tempe Regional at Packard Stadium.

Chris Bonnell drove in the go-ahead run with a two-run double down the right-field line that scored Mike Cruz and Efren Navarro Jr., putting the Rebels up 4-3. UNLV added an insurance run a batter latter and then Cruz got the final out of the game, making a catch while falling down in foul territory to keep UNLV alive in the NCAA Tournament.

UNLV improved to 35-28 overall and will play the loser of No. 1 seed Coastal Carolina and second-seeded Arizona State in an elimination game Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m. (PT). The Chanticleers and Sun Devils meet tonight at 7:00 p.m. ECU ended its season with a record of 35-26.

Rebel starter Derek Rodriguez pitched a brilliant game, giving up just four hits while striking out three in six-plus innings of work. But three of those hits came in the seventh inning, when he gave up a solo home run to Mark Minicozzi, a triple by Adam Witter and a single by Drew Costanzo that drove in Witter, giving ECU a 2-0 lead. ECU added another run in the eighth on a throwing error to push the lead to 3-0.

ECU starter Ricky Brooks started the ninth by striking out Justin Tellam, but the right-hander appeared to tire. He gave up a double to Matt Fry a batter later and Brooks, after throwing 143 pitches, was pulled in favor of Mike Flye. CJ Lang and Efren Navarro Jr. both drew walks to load the bases and Pirates head coach Randy Mazey went to his bullpen again, bringing in Brett Braxton to face Cruz. The Rebel third baseman hit a 1-1 pitch through the left side of the infield to pull UNLV to within one at 3-2.

Braxton then struck out Zeke Parraz for the second out of the inning, but he could not get Bonnell out, who laced a 1-2 pitch down the line to give UNLV the lead. Ryan Bird, who had been 0-8 at the regional, then hit a soft liner to left field that drove in Bonnell to put the Rebels up 5-3.

Kyle Tabeek, who had relieved Rodriguez in the seventh inning, gave up a one-out single to Costanzo but got pinch hitter Jamie Ray to ground out and then Ryan Peisel hit a pop fly in foul territory down the third-base line that Cruz caught while falling down while running backwards. Tabeek earned the victory, improving to 5-1 on the year.

Early on it was a case of UNLV not being able to take advantage of scoring chances as the Rebels stranded six runners through the first four innings, including squandering two different bases-loaded chances.

In the first inning the Rebels used a single by Parraz and then a hit batter and a walk to load the bases against Brooks. Tyler Beranek could not get a clutch hit though for UNLV, grounding out to end the threat.

Then in the top of the fourth inning the Rebels loaded the bases without a hit, as Bird struck out but reached on a wild pitch and was followed by two walks to open the fourth. Lang followed with a line drive that ECU second baseman Dale Mollenhauer leaped to catch and then he tossed the ball to the short stop to double off Beranek, who had strayed away from second. Brooks then got a fly out to get the Pirates out of the inning.

Meanwhile, as the Rebels were leaving runners on base, Rodriguez kept them in the game by dominating on the mound in the elimination game. Through the first five innings of the game the senior right-hander retired 15 of the first 16 batters he faced, including 13 straight at one point, giving up just a single in the first inning.

The streak was snapped in the sixth inning when Rodriguez walked Harrison Eldridge to lead off the frame, who was moved to second on a sacrifice, the first Pirate to reach second base in the game. Rodriguez didn't let the threat get him out of his rhythm as he got the next two ECU hitters to ground out to end the inning, keeping UNLV in the game heading into the dramatic final three innings.

Bonnell finished the game going 2-4 with the two RBI, and he was one of two Rebels to get more than just one hit as UNLV was limited to eight hits on the afternoon after having rapped out 18 against Coastal Carolina yesterday afternoon. Entering the final inning the Rebels had just four hits against Brooks and ECU.

UNLV NOTES FROM THE NCAA TOURNAMENT

-UNLV won its first NCAA Tournament game since beating New Mexico State 16-10 at the 2003 Tempe Regional. The win snaps a four-game losing streak for the Rebels in NCAA Tournament play.

-UNLV improved to 5-7 all-time in 12 games played at NCAA Tournament Regionals held in Tempe, Ariz. UNLV went 1-2 at the Tempe Regional in 1978 and 1988 and they went 2-2 during the 2003 Tempe Regional. Those games were played at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

-UNLV is now 10-19 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

-In two games at the Tempe Regional UNLV first baseman Chris Bonnell is 6-10 with four RBI.