March 1, 2008
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS - Xavier Scruggs drilled three home runs as part of a 22-hit attack as UNLV baseball beat the University of Maine, 21-5, on Saturday afternoon at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
The trio of home runs by Scruggs marked the first dingers of the season by any Rebel and the first basemen finished the game going 5-for-5 with seven RBI as UNLV moved to 4-3 on the year. Corey Hales pitched six strong innings, giving up one unearned run on five hits to earn the victory, his first decision of the season. Mained dropped to 4-2 overall with starter Alejandro Balsinde taking the loss, as he gave up four runs on nine hits in just 2.1 innings of work.
Scruggs got UNLV going in the bottom of the first, drilling a three-run home run to left field that gave his squad a 3-1 lead. With the wind blowing out, it was a sign of things to come for the 405 fans in attendance.
The Rebels would tack six more runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth, using four hits in the frame, with the big blow a two-run single by Braden Walker. Scruggs had an RBI single and three other runs scored on Black Bear errors.
Scruggs led off the fifth with a solo home run and then the Rebels plated five more runs in the sixth to take a commanding 16-1 lead. Rance Roundy hit a double with the bases loaded that drove in three runs in the sixth.
The seventh inning saw UNLV once again score five runs in the frame and Scruggs turned the home run hat trick, drilling his second three-run dinger of the game. The three home runs, seven RBI and five runs scored mark career highs for the native of San Diego, Calif.
Roundy finished the game going 3-for-5 with two runs scored while Jesse Wight crossed the plate three times and J.J. Sferra collected three hits. In all 11 different Rebels had at least one hit in the game.
The 21 runs scored are the most in a game by a UNLV squad since March 17, 2006, when the Rebels beat The Citadel at home, 22-6. It is also the 14th time in UNLV history that a single player hit three home runs in one game, with the most recent being Keith Smith, who slugged three against Air Force on May 19, 2007.
The two teams finish their series tomorrow, with Sunday's game scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. (PT). Sunday's game will be streamed live on the internet at while fans can also follow live via Gametracker by going to www.unlvrebels.com.
