May 25, 2007
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS - The sixth-seeded UNLV Rebels eliminated the fifth-seeded New Mexico Lobos by an 8-3 margin at the Mountain West Conference Baseball Championship Friday afternoon at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. The Rebels strung together eight runs to improve to 24-35 with the victory, while the Lobos end the year with a record of 28-30.
With the win, UNLV advances to play the loser of the top-seeded TCU vs. second-seeded BYU game at 7:05 pm PT.
After playing two scoreless innings, UNLV's offense came alive to score eight runs between the third and seventh frames. The Rebels got single runs in the third, fourth, fifth and seventh, while scoring four in the sixth.
In the third, the Rebels had runners on the corners and were given a gift run when Shane Dyer uncorked a wild pitch to score Braden Walker from third.
Efren Navarro Jr. scored to give the Rebels a 2-0 lead in the fourth after reaching on a single up the middle. Navarro Jr. took second on a passed ball and third on a wild pitch. Chad Miller came up and hit a grounder to second to score Navarro Jr.
Keith Smith pushed UNLV's lead to 3-0 with a two-out solo home run to left field.
The early run support was all that UNLV's Chris Saddoris would need to improve to 1-5 on the year. Saddoris tossed 7.2 innings and allowed only two runs in just his fifth start of the season. He allowed seven hits, while striking out two and walking one.
The sixth inning was the most productive for the Rebels as they plated four runs off of one hit and two Lobo errors. Xavier Scruggs opened the inning with a walk issued by Dyer. The walk forced UNM to bring Adam Skelton into the game in relief. Scruggs took second when Blake Gailen reached safely on an error by Scott Gracey at short. Following a fly out by Miller, which advanced the runners into scoring position, Walker was intentionally walked to load the bases. Michael Brenly reached on a fielder's choice and took second on a throwing error by second baseman Jordan Pacheco. On the play Scruggs and Gailen scored to move the score to 5-0. UNLV then got a first and second situation after Calvin Beamon was hit by a pitch. Ryan Kowalski emptied the bases with a double to left to increase the lead to 7-0.
In the eighth, Scruggs took his third walk of the game and moved to second on a wild pitch. Gailen brought him home with a double to right.
New Mexico finally got on the scoreboard in the seventh with two runs off of four hits. Ian Hollick and Adam Courcha got the inning going with back-to-back singles. After two outs were recorded, Gracey singled to right to bring Hollick home. Matt Foote brought Courcha in with a single to center.
The Lobos added a run in the ninth on a two-out single by Pacheco. Gracey got the offense going with a one-out double down the left field line. A ground out by Matt Foote pushed Gracey to third for Pacheco's hit up the middle.
Dyer dropped to 2-2 to end the season. Dyer threw 5.0 innings and surrendered four runs (three earned) on three hits. He walked four and struck out one.
