April 30, 2008
Final Stats
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - UNLV baseball took an early lead but ultimately lost 5-3 to Cal State Northridge in the final of a two-game series Wednesday at Matador Field.
UNLV dropped to 19-25 overall on the year while CSUN improved to 19-22 overall on the season. Rebel starter Matt Hutchison (1-5) took the loss, as he gave up five runs, four earned, in 7.2 innings of work. Matador starter Drew Muren (2-4) earned the win, giving up one run on six innings, and Edwin Quirarte picked up his second save in as many games.
Xavier Scruggs got UNLV on the board in the first inning, hitting an RBI single to right that scored J.J. Sferra, who walked to open the game and then moved up to second on a ground out.
CSUN would score the game's next four runs, pushing a pair of runs across the plate in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 4-1 lead.
Muren, who also hit for himself, hit a two-run single with the bases loaded in the fourth and then in the fifth the Matadors got a run on a fielder's choice and another on a balk by Hutchison.
The Rebels cut the lead to one in the eighth when Steve Rinaudo singled up the middle with two outs and the bases loaded, driving in a pair of runs, making it a 5-3 game. But that would be all the Rebels would get in the inning, as Jarred Frierson grounded out to end the threat.
CSUN tacked on a run in the eighth to make it a two-run game and Quirarte retired the Rebels in order in the ninth.
Both teams collected six hits each in the game and also committed a pair of errors each.
UNLV remains in the Golden State and will open up a three-game series with Cal Poly on Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. (PDT).
