March 7, 2006
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS - UNLV baseball took advantage of gusty winds blowing straight out of Earl E. Wilson Stadium on Tuesday afternoon, scoring 11 runs in the fourth inning to come back and beat visiting Texas Tech 16-11.
The game only went eight innings due to the Red Raiders needing to catch their flight back to Lubbock, Texas, but that was long enough for both teams to display plenty of offensive fireworks.
UNLV slugged three home runs and had 18 hits on the afternoon in improving to 7-10 on the year while TT had 11 hits of its own and a trio of round trippers but dropped to 12-6. Matt Wagner (2-0) came out of the bullpen and was effective, giving up four runs, two earned in 3.2 innings of work to get the win for the Rebels. David Dinsmoore (1-1) was charged with the loss, as he gave up six runs, two earned, during the game-changing fourth inning.
Mike Cruz and Chris Bonnell each hit three-run home runs and Blake Gailen added a two-run shot in the frame, all of which were wind-aided over the left-field wall that helped the Rebels dig out of an 8-4 deficit. By the time the inning was over the Rebels used nine hits and one error to score the 11 runs. Six of the runs came with two outs and Michael Brenly, Zach Borba and Cruz added RBI hits as well.
It was the Red Raiders who started the game strong, plating six runs in the opening inning to chase UNLV starter Efren Navarro Jr., who quickly retired the first two batters he faced before running into trouble.
James Leverton hit a three-run home run and then after a run-scoring single Jason Seefeld added a two-run shot that gave Texas Tech a 6-0 lead after a half inning. UNLV scored two runs in the bottom of the inning on two-run double by Bonnell, but TT matched those two runs in the top of the second for an 8-2 advantage.
Chad Miller hit a double to center field that scored two Rebels in the third inning, making the score 8-4 before UNLV unloaded in the fourth inning.
Cruz finished the game 3-4 with four RBI and three runs scored while Bonnell had three hits as well and five RBI. Miller had three hits and three RBI and Gailen finished the game with three RBI.
UNLV wraps up its 12-game homestand with a three-game series against Cal that starts Friday night with the first pitch of the series scheduled for 6:30 p.m. (PST) at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
