May 11, 2007
Final Stats
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - UNLV baseball had a three-run lead but could not make it hold up in losing 7-4 to New Mexico in a Mountain West Conference game at Isotopes Park on Friday afternoon.
It was the second-straight loss for the Rebels, who had won four in a row, and they are now 18-33 overall on the year and 7-13 in league play. UNLV reliever Marc Baca took the loss, as he gave up the Rebels' lead, allowing four runs on five hits over two innings of work. UNM moved to 24-25 on the year and 10-10 in the MWC with starter Bobby LaFramboise (6-2) earned the win, going six innings and allowing the four runs on seven hits.
UNLV got on the board first behind the bat of Xavier Scruggs, who hit a three-run home run in the top of the first inning to give the Rebels an early 3-0 advantage. Ryan Kowalski reached on an error and Keith Smith drew a walk, setting up Scruggs to hit his team-leading seventh home run of the season.
UNM got a run of its on in the bottom half of the first on three consecutive singles to open the frame by Matt Foote, Jordan Pacheco and Daniel Stovall that made the score 3-1.
Following three scoreless innings the Rebels added another run in the top of the fifth on a single by Smith that scored Calvin Beamon, making the score 4-1. Beamon had led off the inning with a single of his own, stole second and then came around to score on Smith's base hit.
From that point on though the rest of the game belonged to the Lobos, as they scored the game's next six runs to move ahead 7-4.
UNM scored twice in the bottom of the fifth to move within one run and then plated three more in the sixth to grab its first lead of the game. The capper of the rally was a two-run home by Jordan Pacheco to make the score 6-4. The Lobos added another run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly to cap the scoring in the game.
Scruggs finished the game going 2-for-4, adding a single to go with his home run, and Smith went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two stolen bases. Overall the Rebels finished the game with seven hits and also committed three errors. Pacheco paced the Lobos at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.
UNLV wraps up its series with New Mexico tomorrow with the game set to start at 11:00 a.m. (PT) with Kevin Skogley taking the mound for the Rebels against Jacob Norton of UNM. Skogley tied a UNLV record by striking out 15 batters in his last start and was named one of Collegiate Baseball's National Player of the Week following his performance.
