March 6, 2007

Final Stats

LUBBOCK, Texas - UNLV baseball kept Texas Tech off the scoreboard in the first and eighth innings, but it was a different story in between those frames as the Rebels lost for the fourth-straight time 7-6 on Tuesday night at Dan Law Stadium.

The Red Raiders put at least one run on the board in each inning after the first in handing the Rebels lost for the sixth time in the last seven games to fall to 8-12 on the year. Texas Tech improved to 13-5 overall. UNLV starter Kevin Skogley (0-2) took the loss, giving up six runs on eight hits and striking out seven over six innings of work. Paul Gonzalez (2-1) came out of the TT bullpen and worked one inning to get the win and Coin Auten picked up his fifth save of the season.

Trailing 4-0 entering the fifth, the Rebels cut the deficit in half on an RBI single by Keith Smith and then a run-scoring ground out by Chris Bonnell. After the Red Raiders scored a run of their own in the bottom of the inning, UNLV put two more runs on the board in the top of the sixth on a two-run double by Blake Gailen.

But as they did the inning before, the Red Raiders responded by scoring a run in the bottom half and then another in the bottom of the seventh for a 7-4 lead.

Following a scoreless eighth, UNLV got to within one but could not get another run to tie the game.

Smith, who finished the game 4-for-5, reached on an infield single and then Bonnell hit his second home run of the year, a shot to left field that made the score 7-6. The rally stalled though, as Efren Navarro Jr. grounded out and Michael Brenly struck out to end the game.

Bonnell finished the game 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored as he and Smith combined for six of the Rebels' 10 hits. Matt Smith drove in three runs for the Red Raiders.

UNLV and Texas Tech wrap up their short two-game series Wednesday, with the first pitch set for 11:30 a.m. (PST).