April 22, 2008
Final Stats
LOS ANGELES - UNLV baseball battled back from a six-run deficit to force extra innings but UCLA earned an 8-7 victory with a run-scoring single with two outs in the bottom of the 11th on a Tuesday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
After a scoreless inning of extra baseball, UCLA put two runners on against UNLV reliever Thomas Whitsett with two outs in the bottom of the 11th, and pinch hitter Mickey Weisser hit a single to center that scored the winning run. It came after the Rebels scored three runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game at seven and extend the game later into the night.
With the loss, UNLV drops to 18-21 overall on the year while UCLA improves to 20-16 on the season. Whitsett (2-2) was charged with loss, as he gave up the game-winning run, the only run charged to him in 1.2 innings of relief. Bruin reliever Brandon Crawford (1-0) earned the win, as he came out of the bullpen to work 2.2 innings of scoreless relief.
UCLA dominated the early innings of Tuesday's game, scoring five runs over the opening three innings, chasing UNLV starter Stephen Singer after he only lasted 2.1, giving up all five runs.
Xavier Scruggs got UNLV on the board in the seventh, hitting a solo home run, his league-leading 15th of the year, making it a 6-1 game and giving the Rebels life in the process.
Following a Bruin run in the bottom of the seventh, UNLV scored three times in the top of the eighth, and then after another UCLA run in the bottom eighth, the Rebels pushed three more across the plate in the top of the ninth.
Scruggs delivered the key hit in the eighth, stroking a two-run single through the left side of the UCLA infield with two outs for the first two Rebel runs of the frame. He moved up to third on a walk and then scored himself on Michael Brenly's single to center.
In the ninth Drew Beuerlein led off the frame with a double and he came around to score on Bryan Resnick's two-bag hit with one out, making it a 7-5 game. A single by J.J. Sferra moved Resnick to third, and he came home on Jesse Wight's single, to cut the lead to just one. Scruggs then struck out on a 3-2 pitch but Braden Walker picked him up, hitting a run-scoring single to right field that tied the game at seven.
Scruggs continued his sensational season, going 3-for-6 with three RBI and two runs scored to pace the Rebel offense, which churned out 15 hits on the evening. Alden Carrithers had four hits and scored two runs for the Bruins, who had 12 hits in the game.
UNLV remains on the road and will travel to play Utah in a three-game series that will be played at Lindquist Field in Ogden, Utah, beginning on Friday at 11:00 a.m. (PST).
