March 29, 2006
Final Stats
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - UNLV baseball scored seven runs in the ninth inning, breaking open a tight ball game late in opening Mountain West Conference play with a 10-3 win over BYU on Wednesday afternoon in San Diego.
Playing in the first-ever MWC Preseason Tournament, the Rebels led 3-1 heading into the final frame and then sent 12 batters to the plate, with the big blow coming on a grand slam by Keith Smith, the junior outfielder's second grand slam of the year.
The win moved UNLV to 13-15 on the year, 1-0 in conference play, and it also snapped a 10-game road losing streak. Chris Saddoris (4-4) allowed just one unearned run and four hits in seven innings of work in getting the win and Matt Wagner picked up the save, his second of the year. BYU dropped to 9-15 on the year, 0-1 in league play, with Matt Jensen (0-4) taking the loss.
The ninth inning started with Chad Miller hitting a solo home run for the Rebels and then Braden Walker reached on an error and Ryan Bird singled. Lang then reached on a fielder's choice that scored Walker and after a strike out Mike Cruz drew a walk, loading the bases and bringing Smith to the plate.
Smith, who hit a grand slam against Texas earlier this year, took BYU reliever Chris Highmark deep, making the score 9-1. Walker then capped the inning with an RBI single that pushed the lead to 10-1. BYU scored two runs in its half of the ninth inning for the final score, getting two unearned run on an error and a single.
Smith got the Rebels started on Wednesday, hitting an RBI double in the first inning that scored Ryan Kowalski and moved Lang to third. Lang later scored on a double by Chris Bonnell and the Rebels had a 2-0 lead after the first half inning. The Cougars got on the board in the first inning on a Jeff Hiestand sacrifice fly that cut the lead in half but the Rebels answered in the second when Lang singled in Bird to make the score 3-1.
From that point on the game turned into a pitcher's duel, as Saddoris and James Platt for the Cougars both had strong outings.
Saddoris kept BYU off the scoreboard over the next six innings, striking out three batters and working out of a jam in the fifth inning to keep the Rebel lead at two. In the fifth inning BYU twice put runners on first and second, but a double play ended the first threat and Saddoris got a ground out to get out of the inning unscathed. Platt, who relieved Jensen in the third inning, was just as effective in his six innings before he got to the ninth, where he did not record an out before giving way to Highmark.
Smith finished the game going 3-5 with five RBI, two doubles and a run scored while Miller was 2-4 and Bonnell was 2-5. As a team the Rebels had 11 hits and committed three errors and BYU finished with six hits and two errors.
UNLV will take Thursday off and then continue play in the MWC Preseason Tournament, facing league newcomer TCU on Friday at 7:00 p.m. (PST) at Tony Gwynn Stadium. TCU is coached by former UNLV head coach Jim Schlossnagle, who current Rebel skipper Buddy Gouldsmith replaced following the 2003 season.
