Jan. 26, 2007
Final Stats
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - UNLV baseball got its season off on the right track, getting a solid performance from junior pitcher Craig Heyer in a 10-4 victory over Cal State Northridge on Friday afternoon.
Heyer (1-0) worked 6.1 innings in the first start of his Rebel career, giving up four runs, three earned, on seven hits while striking out six. He got plenty of run support, with Braden Walker and Xavier Scruggs each driving in three runs. CSN starter Chuckie Fick (0-1) took the loss, as he allowed five runs, four earned, on five hits and five walks over 5.2 innings of work.
The Matadors had a 1-0 lead after the first inning, but the legs of Rebel senior outfielder Calvin Beamon knotted the game at one in the top of the third. Beamon reached base on a fielder's choice, stole second and third, then scored on a ground out. UNLV tacked on a pair of runs in the top of the fourth and then Scruggs hit the first home run of the season, a two-run shot in the sixth that pushed the lead to 5-1.
Following a CSN run in the bottom of the sixth, the Rebels scored four times in the top of the seventh, basically putting the game out of reach at 9-2. Northridge plated two runs in the bottom of the seventh and then UNLV added an insurance run in the eighth to cap the scoring.
Efren Navarro Jr. (3-5) and Chad Miller (2-4) had multi-hit games for UNLV, with Miller knocking in a pair of runs and scoring twice as well. Spencer Roberts and Marc Baca combined to work 2.2 scoreless innings of relief. C.J. Belanger had three hits to lead the Matadors.
The Rebels and the Matadors continue their three-game series with the second game Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. (PT) at Matador Field. True freshman Matt Hutchison is slated to take the mound for UNLV.
