Feb. 23, 2007

Final Stats

LAS VEGAS - UNLV baseball jumped out to an early lead and got a strong outing from Craig Heyer, but the Rebels could not make them hold up in a 6-5, 10-inning loss to No. 17 Arizona on a chilly Friday night at Earl E. Wilson Stadium

Sophomore reliever Marc Baca, who was 2-0 with a pair of saves and a 0.61 ERA entering Friday night, was uncharacteristically wild, walking the bases loaded and giving up the winning run in the 10th. He took the loss as UNLV (7-7) saw its three-game winning streak come to a close. Arizona closer Daniel Schlereth (1-0), who redshirted at UNLV in 2005 before transferring, earned the win while Cory Burns picked up his first save of the season. Arizona moved to 10-2 on the year.

Nearly untouchable in his first eight outings, Baca started the 10th by striking out T.J. Steele before he lost control and could not find the strike zone. He walked the next three batters he faced to load the bases. Baca rebounded to limit the damage, allowing just a sacrifice fly before getting out of the inning on a line out to Chris Bonnell at first base.

But the damage was done though, and UNLV trailed 6-5 heading into the bottom of the frame and the Rebels could not rally.

UNLV senior Keith Smith drew a walk to start the bottom of the 10th, ending Schlereth's night on the mound and bringing in Burns to face Rebel pinch hitter Kyle Kretchmer. Burns got Kretchmer to hit into a double play and then got Michael Brenly to ground out to end the game.

Senior lead-off hitter Calvin Beamon got the Rebels started, lacing a triple to right-center field that was followed by a single by Blake Gailen and then a double by Smith for a 2-0 lead. Guilmet got the next two outs, bringing first baseman Bonnell to the plate with Smith still at second. Bonnell capped the big first inning by launching a ball over the right-field fence for a two-run home run, his first of the year, giving UNLV a 4-0 lead.

With the wind swirling and gusting at Earl E. Wilson Stadium, it figured to be an offensive night at the ball park, but both starting pitchers had other plans.

Heyer allowed just five hits through six innings and his defense turned a pair of double plays behind him to keep the Wildcats off the board. Preston Guilmet was just as effective following his rocky start, giving up just two hits over the next five innings and he finished the game with seven strikeouts and just one walk.

In the seventh Heyer found himself in trouble, giving up two singles to start the inning and then Wildcat pinch hitter Oliver Pace broke up the shut out with a run-scoring single. Colt Sedbrook then tried to sacrifice the runners over, but UNLV third baseman Xavier Scruggs' throw to first was errant, allowing another run to score and the runners to move to second and third. Robert Abel grounded out for the third run and then Bill Rhinehart hit a run-scoring single that knotted the game at four.

Heyer got a fly out before UNLV head coach Buddy Gouldsmith went to the bullpen, bringing in Koji Pupo to face the left-handed Jon Gaston, who drew a walk that put the go-ahead run in scoring position. Gouldsmith again went to the pen, this time bringing in righty Adam Moser who walked Brad Glenn to load the bases. Moser got Steele to hit a ground ball to Scruggs but he misplayed it, allowing the Wildcats to take a 5-4 lead before the Rebels could get out of the frame.

The two errors in the frame were part of four total on the evening for UNLV, which allowed to two of the six runs the Wildcats scored to be unearned.

UNLV responded as it has done continually at the start of the season, manufacturing a run in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at five.

Scruggs led off the inning with a single and Gouldsmith pinch ran Blake Amador, who moved to second after Braden Walker was hit by a pitch. Amador stole third and following a strike out, Beamon drove him in on a ground out to first to knot the game.

Smith finished the game with two hits, but he was the only Rebel to collect more one on in the game and UNLV finished with nine as a team. Rhinehart and Steele each had a pair of hits for the Wildcats and their pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts.

UNLV and Arizona continue their series tomorrow, with Saturday's first pitch slated for 2:00 p.m. (PST) at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.