April 1, 2006
Final Stats
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - UNLV baseball erupted for five runs in the fourth inning to grab a lead and then held off Air Force late, winning 9-7 on Saturday afternoon at the Mountain West Conference Preseason Tournament being played at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
The win was credited to Matt Luca, his first of the season in just his second start since coming back from off-season surgery. Luca watched as Keith Smith hit a three-run home run and Chad Miller added a two-run shot in the pivotal fourth inning, which made the score 5-2.
UNLV improved to 14-16, 2-1 in MWC play with the win as Luca evened his record at 1-1 and Jabe Beard picked up his fourth save of the year. Air Force dropped to 9-15 on the year, 1-2 in league play. Clayton Couch (0-3) took the loss for the Falcons, as he could not get out of the fourth inning.
After a pair of scoreless innings to open the game, Air Force struck first, pushing two runs across the plate in the top of the third inning. Dustin Smith hit a double and then later scored on a balk by Luca for the game's first run. Matt Ghigna then made it a 2-0 game, hitting a triple that scored Geno Salazar.
It didn't take long for the Rebels to respond, as they led off the fourth inning with a walk by CJ Lang and then a single by Ryan Kowalski. After a fly out, Smith game to the plate and drilled his fifth home run, giving UNLV a 3-2 game. Chris Bonnell followed with a double and after a ground out, Miller hit his fourth of the year, pushing the lead to 5-2 and ending the day for Couch.
AFA put a pair of runs on the board in the top of the fifth to make the lead just one but then UNLV answered in its half of the frame when Smith singled in Lang to give the Rebels a 6-4 advantage. The lead ballooned to 9-4 in the seventh, with Blake Gailen hitting a two-run double and Miller following with an RBI single that scored Gailen.
The Falcons would not go away though despite the big Rebel lead. Salazar cut into the deficit in the eighth, hitting a two-run home run off of Rebel reliever Eric Brock that made the score 9-6. AFA then scored a run in the top of the ninth to make it 9-7 and had a man on with one out and the tying run at the plate.
Beard came in from the UNLV bullpen and slammed the door on the rally, striking out Josh Ments and Brad Madison to end the game.
Smith went 2-3 on the afternoon and drove in four RBI and Miller added three RBI as well in going 2-3 at the plate. Ryan Bird, Kowalski and Gailen each had a pair of hits for UNLV, which had 11 hits and two errors as a team. Luca lasted five innings in his second start and third overall appearance, striking out six and walking four while allowing four runs, three of which were earned.
UNLV closes out play at the inaugural MWC Preseason Tournament tomorrow, playing host San Diego State at 4:00 p.m. (PST). Ryan Tabor is scheduled to get the start for the Rebels.
