March 14, 2008
Final Stats
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - UNLV starter Corey Hales was strong on the mound for the second-straight start and the Rebels overcame five errors to open Mountain West Conference play with a 7-5 win over New Mexico at Isotopes Park.
Hales, coming off a complete-game two hitter in his previous outing, picked up the win to move to 3-0 overall as the Rebels climbed back above .500 to 8-7 overall. Adam Moser pitched a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his second save of the season, despite running into trouble following UNLV's fifth error of the night. UNM dropped to 8-7 overall on the year, with Jacob Norton taking the loss as he gave up six runs, all earned, on 10 hits over 5.1 innings on Friday night.
The Rebels got on the board first, scoring the game's first four runs and seven of the first nine to jump out to a 7-2 lead after six innings of play.
Bryan Resnick hit a two-run home run as part of a three-run fourth inning, Rance Roundy hit an RBI single in the fifth and then the Rebels had three RBI singles in the seventh.
Those runs backed a strong outing by Hales, who worked seven strong innings and gave up just one earned run and four total, as the Rebels committed four errors behind him. He struck out three and walked one, giving up nine hits before turning the game over to the bullpen in the eighth.
UNM scored two runs in the seventh, both unearned, on a ground out and a fielder's choice to cut the Rebel lead to three at 7-4. The Lobos then added another run in the eighth when Rafael Neda doubled and then later scored on a ground out, making it a 7-5 game.
Things got interesting in the bottom of the ninth, as Moser came in and got the first two outs before yet another Rebel error kept the Lobos alive. UNLV leftfielder Jesse Wight misplayed a ball that would have ended the game, and then Bobby Moore singled, putting the tying runs on board. Moser kept his cool and enduced a fly out to right field, ending the game.
Resnick finished with three RBI and two runs scored, going 2-for-3, including hitting his second home run of the season. Michael Brenly, Steve Rinaudo and Michael Brenly each had a pair of hits as well, as UNLV finished the evening with 15 hits. Moore had three hits in four at-bats to pace the Lobos, who had 11 hits in the game.
UNLV and UNM continue their series on Saturday, with the first pitch set for 1:00 p.m. (PT), with Thomas Whitsett set to take the mound for the Rebels.
