April 20, 2008

Final Stats

LAS VEGAS - UNLV baseball torched San Diego State pitching for 19 hits in a 20-16 win on Sunday at Earl E. Wilson Stadium, giving the Rebels a Mountain West Conference series victory.

After falling behind 9-4 heading into the bottom half of the fifth inning, the Rebels dropped the hammer, scoring 16 runs over the next four innings to earn the win. The wind was once again blowing out and the 561 fans were treated to yet another offensive show by both teams.

"Any time you get a series win against a conference opponent is key," UNLV head coach Buddy Gouldsmith said. "The conditions were not great all weekend with the wind, and to come back again today was amazing."

UNLV improved to 18-20 on the year and 7-8 in MWC games, with Michael Goodman (1-1) coming out the pen and earning the win, as he was on the hill when the Rebels made their charge. SDSU dropped to 23-17 overall and 10-5 in league games, as reliever Brandon Villalobos (0-1) could not make a five-run lead hold.

Junior outfielder Rance Roundy gave UNLV the lead back in the bottom of the sixth, hitting a triple to the left-center gap with the bases loaded, and then he scored on an errant throw to third. That made it a 12-9 lead for the Rebels and it capped a five-run frame in which the Rebels scored the first run in the inning on a bases-loaded walk to Braden Walker.

The two teams were not done scoring runs, but every time SDSU scored in the top half of a frame, UNLV had an answer in the bottom.

It was a series dominated by offense, as the two teams combined for 91 runs and 111 hits, including 18 home runs. The only starting pitcher to work more than five was Stephen Strasburg of San Diego State, who worked seven scoreless in Friday's series opener.

UNLV jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, scoring three runs in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Walker, and then RBI singles by Michael Brenly and Roundy and, then another in the second on a ground out.

From there the Aztecs would score the game's next eight runs to move out in front, 8-4 heading to the bottom of the fifth inning.

SDSU got three in the third on a two-run home run by Troy Hanzawa and then a solo shot by Nick Romero. The Aztecs picked up four in the fourth, with two runs coming on a double by Hanzawa followed by a two-run home run by Green. Bubba Ruddy capped the Aztec scoring barrage with an RBI double in the fifth for an 8-4 advantage.

The Rebels cut into the lead in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three runs in the inning to make it a one-run game, doing it by getting only two hits in the frame. UNLV scored the first run on a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded, followed by a walk that scored a run and then a double-play that pushed the third run across the plate.

Hanzawa hit his second home run of the game in the sixth, a solo shot with one out, that gave the Aztecs a 9-7 lead, but that would be their last lead of the game.

Brenly finished the game with three hits, four RBI and four runs scored, while slugger Xavier Scruggs was pitched around, drawing four walks. But the Rebel bats behind him made SDSU pay for the free passes, as Scruggs scored five runs and also added an RBI single. Hanzawa finished the game with five RBI and four runs scored while going 3-for-6 at the plate.

UNLV will now spend the next two weeks on the road, beginning a nine-game trip at UCLA this Tuesday, with the first pitch set for 11:00 a.m. (PDT) at Jackie Robinson Stadium.