May 11, 2008
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS - The final game of the UNLV baseball home season was heavy on offense and the Rebels dropped a 15-10 Mountain West Conference game to New Mexico on Sunday afternoon at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
UNLV is now 20-32 on the year and 8-13 in MWC games, with reliever Michael Goodman (1-4) taking the loss, as he gave up four runs on three hits in 3.0 innings of work. New Mexico improved to 32-20 overall and 16-5 in league games, with Adam Skelton (2-0) earning the win.
It was the final home game for a pair of Rebel seniors - Adam Moser and Braden Walker - and they were honored before the game. Also, with today's game falling on Mother's Day, all of the UNLV player's moms in attendance threw out the first pitch of the game.
The game featured a total of 25 runs and 36 hits between the two clubs on a hot afternoon in front of a season-ending crowd of 339.
After the Lobos scored two runs in the top of the first, UNLV answered with four in the bottom of the second to take its first lead of the game. Walker singled in the first run for the Rebels, and following a sacrifice fly, Jesse Wight hit a two-run double to make the score 4-2.
UNM pushed two more runs across the plate in the top of the third to tie the score at four, with Matt Hibbits singling in one run to cut the lead to 4-3 and also putting runners on the corners. Hibbits then attempted to steal second and was thrown out, but Ian Hollick hurried home to score on the play.
The Rebels regained the lead in the bottom of the frame on a sacrifice fly by Jarred Frierson for a 5-4 advantage. Both teams would then score three runs each in the fourth, with the big blow for the Rebels a two-run home run by Michael Brenly to center field.
From there, though, the Lobos scored a run in the fifth to tie the game at eight and then three in the seventh to take an 11-8 lead.
The Rebels had a chance to cut into the deficit in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with two outs to bring slugger Xavier Scruggs to the plate. UNM head coach Ray Birmingham brought in Daniel Grubbs, and the moved paid off, as he got Scruggs to foul out to first base on the first pitch of the at-bat.
The Lobos tacked on four runs in the top of the ninth and J.J. Sferra hit a two-run single for the Rebels for the final 15-10 score.
Steve Rinaudo had four hits and Sferra knocked in three runs for UNLV while Hibbits had five hits in as many at-bats for New Mexico.
UNLV will now close out its regular season with four games on the road, beginning with a Tuesday game at UC Riverside, followed by a three-game series at Air Force. The Rebels will then travel to the MWC Tournament, which starts May 20 in Fort Worth, Texas.
