April 13, 2007
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS - UNLV baseball jumped out to an early 4-1 lead against visiting TCU but the Rebels couldn't make it hold as the Horned Frogs rallied for a 13-6 Mountain West Conference victory in front of 479 fans at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
Up by three runs after three innings, the Rebels gave up 12 of the next 14 runs to the Horned Frogs, including eight consecutive runs in the fourth and fifth innings that chased UNLV starter Kevin Skogley. UNLV saw its losing streak extended to a season-high five games in falling to 14-24, 3-7 in league play while TCU improved to 25-9 and a league-leading 8-1 in conference play.
Skogley (0-3), who was staked to an early 4-1 lead, gave up a total of seven runs, six earned, on seven hits in 4.1 innings of work to take the loss.
TCU scored the first run of the game in the top of the second on a double by Andrew Walker that scored Austin Adams, who had doubled earlier in the inning.
UNLV answered with three runs of its own though in the bottom of the frame to take a 3-1 lead, with all three runs coming after TCU starter Jake Arrieta got the first two outs of the inning. Arrieta improved to 6-2 in collecting the win, giving up six runs, five earned, on nine hits in 6.2 innings on the mound.
Ryan Kowalski singled up the middle and after stealing second base, he crossed home plate on a single by designated hitter Kyle Kretchmer to tie the game at one to start the second-inning rally. It was Kretchmer's first RBI of the season and it came in his first career start. Sophomore third baseman Xavier Scruggs then hit his team-leading fourth home run, a shot over the right-field fence, to give the Rebels a 3-1 lead.
The lead grew to three in the bottom of the third when Blake Gailen singled, moved to second on a balk and then stole third with one out to get within 90 feet of scoring. Efren Navarro Jr. then chopped a ball to the left of the mound that Arrieta fielded and went to home with the ball, but his throw was high allowing Gailen to score making it 4-1.
From there though it was TCU over the next two innings as the Horned Frogs scored three runs in the fourth to tie it and then exploded for five runs in the fifth to take a 9-4 lead.
The Rebels pulled to within three at 9-6 in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI double by Gailen and a RBI single by Keith Smith, but that was as close as they got.
Kowalski finished the game with three hits and Scruggs had a pair of RBI for the Rebels. TCU was led by Austin Adams, who went 4-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored.
UNLV and TCU continue their series tomorrow with the first pitch of the second game of the series set for 2:00 p.m. (PT) at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
