May 7, 2006
Final Stats
TUCSON, Ariz. - In a game lacking effective pitching, UNLV baseball scored enough runs to beat Arizona 16-12 on Sunday afternoon at Frank Sancet Stadium in the final of a non-conference series.
The Rebels used 19 hits on the afternoon and they took two of three games from the Wildcats, marking the first time this season that UNLV won a series on the road.
UNLV improved to 21-28 on the year with Rebel starter Ryan Tabor (3-4) collecting the win in relief and Koji Pupo working a scoreless ninth to earn the save, his second of the season. Pupo was the only pitcher on the afternoon between the two teams that did not give up a run. Arizona fell to 21-25 overall on the year with Mike Colla (0-1) taking the loss.
Just like the night before, UNLV jumped out to an early lead, scoring four runs in the top of the first, with Chris Bonnell's two-run double providing most of the damage. Chad Miller hit an RBI-single and Braden Walker added a run-scoring double in the rally.
Arizona battled back and scored five runs in the bottom of the opening frame, chasing Rebel starter Chris Saddoris, who gave up all five runs and recorded just one out before he was pulled. Matt Luca came in and worked four innings, but the right-hander gave up four runs over that time.
It was 6-4 Arizona heading into the third when UNLV again hung a crooked number on the scoreboard, pushing five runs across the board in the frame to go back ahead 9-6. Mike Cruz and Zach Borba each knocked in two runs in the inning and then Borba stole home on a double steal to cap the rally.
The Wildcats fought back and took another lead, scoring the game's next four runs to pull ahead at 10-9 after five innings of play.
That would be the last lead of the game for the Wildcats as the Rebels scored a pair of runs in the top of the sixth and then four more in the eighth to move back ahead 15-11. Miller hit a two-run home run in the sixth, his team-leading 11th of the year and then in the eighth Zerega Jr. had the big hit in that rally, a two-run double.
UA put up a run in the eighth and then each team scored a run in the ninth to cap the high-scoring affair. UNLV's run in the ninth was a solo home-run by CJ Lang, who went 5-5 at the plate with three runs scored.
Six different Rebels had at least two hits and it was the 12th time this season that UNLV has scored 10 or more runs in a game.
UNLV will now play its final three regular-season home games, hosting New Mexico in a three-game series that gets underway Friday night at 6:30 p.m. (PDT) at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. The Rebel seniors will be honored on Sunday with a ceremony before the game, which is slated to start at 1:00 p.m.
