April 16, 2008

Final Stats

LAS VEGAS - UNLV pounded Texas Tech pitching to the tune of 16 hits and the Rebels routed the Red Raiders, 15-8, on a windy Wednesday afternoon at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.

The Rebel used four extra-base hits, including Braden Walker's fourth home run of the year, in improving to 16-19 overall on the year. Marc Baca (1-2) worked into the sixth inning, giving up four runs on seven hits, while Steve Rinaudo got the final five outs of the game for his first career save. TTU dropped to 17-21 on the year with Corey Large (1-1) taking the loss, giving up seven runs on four hits in 1.1 innings before he was lifted.

"Any time you can sweep a series from a Big 12 team is a good thing, and we had some guys step up today and give us good performances," UNLV head coach Buddy Gouldsmith said. "Marc Baca gave us a really good effort on the mound, as did Steve Rinaudo. Also, when it got close late in the game, we answered on offense."

It was all UNLV early, as its offense scored seven runs in the second inning on seven hits to grab a 7-0 lead.

Junior second baseman Bryan Resnick got the rally started with a two-run double to left field with the bases loaded, and he and Jarred Frierson came home on a J.J. Sferra. Following an intentional walk to Xavier Scruggs to load the bases once again, and Brenly drove in two with a single to center field for a 6-0 lead. The inning was capped by a Rance Roundy run-scoring single for a 7-0 advantage after just two innings of play.

But like the game last night in which UNLV had a 7-1 lead after two innings, Texas Tech slowly chipped away at the lead. The Red Raiders scored a pair of runs in the third on a two-run home run by Joey Kenworthy to make it a 7-2 ball game.

UNLV answered with a three-run fifth on a trio of run-scoring singles, but the Red Raiders scored three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to cut the lead to 10-8.

Sferra came up with another clutch hit with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, hitting a double off the right-field wall that scored Resnick to move the lead back to three. Jesse Wight knocked Sferra in with a single and after Scruggs was hit by a pitch, Walker hit his fourth home run of the season, a three-run shot to right field.

That pushed the lead to 15-8 heading into the eighth inning, which was the final frame of the game, as Texas Tech needed to get to the airport to catch a flight back to Lubbock.

Sferra and Walker each had three RBI while Wight and Roundy each collected a trio of hits to pace the Rebel offense.

UNLV returns to conference play, hosting league-leading San Diego State in a three-game series that gets underway on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. (PT) at Wilson Stadium.