May 20, 2008
FORT WORTH, Texas - Braden Walker's two-run single with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth sent sixth-seeded UNLV to a 6-2 win over third-seeded San Diego State in the first game of the Phillips 66 MWC Championship at Lupton Stadium on Tuesday.
After working the count full off of Aztec starter James McLaughlin, Walker fought off an inside pitch and dropped it into center field, scoring a pair of runs and breaking a 2-2 tie. Following a pitching change, Steve Rinaudo hit a towering pop fly to shallow left that Brandon Decker lost in the sun, resulting in two runs and a 6-2 lead for UNLV.
"After you see a guy three or four times in a game, you get an idea of what is coming," Walker said. "I was just trying to put the ball in play and after striking out looking twice before, I was prepared to swing at pretty much anything. I am just lucky I made contact and the ball found a hole."
Rebel closer Adam Moser then came in and worked a perfect bottom of the ninth to secure the opening-round win.
With the victory UNLV improved to 22-35 overall on the year while San Diego State dropped to 30-27. Rebel reliever Michael Goodman (2-4) earned the win while McLaughlin (3-2) took the loss after he was charged with all six runs on just five hits in 8.2 innings of work.
"We stayed with it and continued to try and win every pitch and get good at-bats," UNLV head coach Buddy Gouldsmith said. "Fortunately we got a win and I can't say enough about these guys' effort today."
It was a pitchers' dual through five innings as Hales allowed just four hits and no runs while McLaughlin was working on a no-hitter and had faced just the minimum.
That changed for both teams in the sixth.
Rinaudo led off the inning with a single to left field and then moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt. Bryan Resnick followed with a single to left to plate Rinaudo for a 1-0 Rebel lead, and J.J. Sferra doubled down the right-field line to score Resnick.
SDSU quickly countered in the bottom of the sixth, getting a lead-off home run from Nick Romero over the right-field fence that cut the Rebel lead in half, 2-1. A walk, a throwing error by Xavier Scruggs on a bunt and then a sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third for SDSU. Hales struck out Erik Castro swinging for the second out of the frame and then got Brett Tanos to foul out to right field on a full count to get out of the jam.
The Aztecs would then tie the game in the bottom of the eighth inning, manufacturing a run on a Romero single, a ground out and then a single up the middle by Brandon Glover that scored Romero.
The ground out that moved Romero up to second ended Hales' day on the mound, and the 7.1 innings of work was his longest outing since he tossed a complete game against San Francisco on March 8. Today was also Hales' first start or appearance on the mound since May 2 at Cal Poly.
"It was very important to come out and pitch well," Hales said. "The time off made a huge difference. My fastball was pretty lively today, with good velocity on it, and that helped."
Goodman came in out of the Rebel bullpen and after he gave up the single to Glover that tied the game at two, he got a ground out and a fly out to end the inning.
That moved things to the top of the ninth, where the Rebels rallied to score the upset and move on in the winner's side of the bracket.
Sferra went 2-for-4 in the game and although they only had five hits as a team, the Rebels made sure they counted when they got them. Romero went 4-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, but just three other Aztecs had a hit on the afternoon.
UNLV now moves on to play top-seeded TCU on Wednesday night at 5:00 p.m. (PDT) and the Horned Frogs are the two-time defending tournament champions. The game will be carried live on the Mtn. as well as on KSHP 1400 AM.
