Feb. 4, 2006

Final Stats

MALIBU, Calif. - UNLV baseball used a five-run fifth inning to erase a two-run deficit and the Rebels went on to upset No. 13 Pepperdine 6-3 at Eddy D. Field Stadium in Friday afternoon. UNLV's last win over a ranked opponent was last season, a 8-4 win over then-No. 10 Arizona.

Rebel freshman Xavier Scruggs slugged his second home run in as many games, a two run shot in the pivotal fifth inning and junior Chris Saddoris pitched six solid innings in his first start as a Rebel, giving up three runs, two earned to pick up the win. Matt Wagner worked a scoreless ninth to pick up his first save of 2006.

Trailing 2-0 heading into the fifth, the inning started with Ryan Bird getting hit by a pitch and then CJ Lang reached on an error. Bird was then picked off but catcher Braden Walker followed with a run-scoring single, bringing up Scruggs. The newcomer hit a solo home run in his debut Friday and then drilled an offering from Wave starter Barry Enright to left-center field. Three batters later Chris Bonnell drove in two runs with two outs to chase Enright and cap the big inning for the Rebels.

Saddoris, a junior transfer from Irvine Valley College, didn't allow the Waves any big innings, giving up single runs in the second, fourth and fifth frames and the run in the fifth inning was unearned.

Jabe Beard worked two scoreless innings in relief of Saddoris and then Wagner closed out the game for UNLV. The Rebels and the Waves each finished the afternoon with 10 hits and one error apiece.

Bird capped the Rebels' scoring with a solo home run in the sixth inning, his first of the season. In two games this year the Rebels have hit four home runs.

UNLV and Pepperdine wrap up their series tomorrow afternoon with the third game of the set slated to start at 1:00 p.m. (PST) with Rebel left hander Efren Navarro Jr. facing off against Adam Olbrychowski.