Feb. 3, 2007
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS - UNLV scored seven runs over the first three innings and then got a strong performance from its bullpen to beat No. 19 Pepperdine 9-6 on Saturday afternoon in front of 638 fans at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
Eight different Rebels collected hits and they racked up 12 as a team in the squad's first victory at home, which also snapped a three-game slide. UNLV improved to 2-3 on the young season, with Ryan Tabor (1-0) collecting the win out of the bullpen. Pepperdine saw its record evened at 1-1 and starter Jason Dominguez (0-1) was charged with the loss.
After being held to just three runs on six hits the night before, the Rebels got going early on Saturday, plating three runs in the opening frame to grab a lead they would never relinquish. Junior shortstop Braden Walker had the big hit in the rally, a three-run triple with two outs. With two outs Keith Smith and Efren Navarro Jr. hit singles and then Chad Miller drew a walk off of Dominguez, bringing Walker to the plate. Walker laced a pitch down the right-field line that got by a diving Donald Brown, clearing the bases.
After the Waves scored a run in the top of the second, UNLV reeled off four more runs in the bottom of the third, with a pair of freshmen keying the rally. Rookie catcher Drew Beuerlein knocked in the second run of the rally with a single and then freshman third baseman Sam Pavlisick drove in two with a bases-loaded single that made the score 7-1.
Freshman starter Matt Hutchison was solid on the mound through four innings, but ran into trouble in the fifth, giving up a pair of runs and then allowing two more Waves to get on base with two out in the inning. UNLV head coach Buddy Gouldsmith then went to the bullpen, bringing on Tabor to pitch to Brown with the score 7-3. Tabor struck out Brown to end the inning.
Pepperdine manufactured a run off of Tabor in the sixth, with Luke Talas getting a single with two outs and then later scoring on a double by Eric Thames that made the score 7-4. In the seventh the Waves were mounting another rally, putting runners on first and second with one out. Gouldsmith went to his bullpen again, bringing in sophomore Marc Baca to end the threat. The move worked, with Baca getting a foul out and a line out to get out of the inning.
UNLV scored two insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth when Michael Brenly hit a single with the bases loaded, driving in Smith and Blake Amador to make the score 9-4.
Rebel closer Adam Moser was brought in to finish the game in the non-save situation and gave up two runs before ending the game by striking out Joseph Evans looking.
Smith led the Rebels offensively, going 3-5 with three singles and three runs scored on the afternoon. Navarro Jr. continued his strong series with a 2-5 effort and Pavlisick and Brenly each had two RBI. Pepperdine also had 12 hits in the game and Thames and Salas each had three hits for the Waves. On the mound Hutchison went 4.2 innings, giving up three runs, two earned, on six hits for the Rebels. Dominguez lasted just two innings, giving up seven runs, six earned on six hits as Pepperdine head coach Steve Rodriguez used six pitchers Saturday.
UNLV and Pepperdine wrap up their three-game series on Sunday, with left-hander Kevin Skogley set to go to the mound for the Rebels against fellow lefty Robert Dickmann for the Waves. First pitch is at 1:00 p.m. (PT) at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
