Feb. 21, 2009

Final Stats

LAS VEGAS - Making the first start of his baseball career behind the plate, UNLV senior catcher Joe DiMaggio drove in the game-winning runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to give the Rebels a 4-3 victory over Maine on Saturday night at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.

DiMaggio, an outfielder by trade before making the move behind the dish this season, went 3-for-3 at the plate and threw two baserunners out as UNLV improved to 3-0 on the year while Maine dropped to 0-3. His final hit of the evening was a single to left with the bases loaded that turned a one-run deficit into a 4-3 victory, sending the 562 fans home happy after 18 innings of baseball.

"I am at a loss for words," DiMaggio said. "I had a great time back there and no one on the team stopped battling. It was a complete team effort tonight."

Maine closer Jimmy Cox came into the bottom of the ninth and quickly got two outs but then hit Rebel first baseman Jesse Wight before suffering an injury with the count 2-1 on Ryan Thornton. Matt Klaczkiewicz then walked Thornton and Trent Fuller, loading the bases for DiMaggio. Maine then went to Alejandro Balisnede and he gave up the sharp single to DiMaggio which gave UNLV the win.

Michael Goodman was the beneficiary of the comeback, collecting the win after tossing three innings of relief, giving up two runs on five hits, striking out four and walking one. He came on in relief of freshman Tanner Peters, who turned in a solid effort in his Rebel debut, working six innings and allowing just one earned run on five hits. UM starter Keith Bilodeau was in line for the win, giving up just two runs on six hits over eight innings before turning this over to Cox in the bottom of the ninth.

The win capped a doubleheader sweep for the Rebels, who came back to beat the Black Bears 9-5 earlier this afternoon.

"The toughest thing to do in college baseball is sweep a doubleheader," UNLV head coach Buddy Gouldsmith said. "I can't say enough about the effort of DiMaggio. He has done everything we have asked of him and taken on any role we need him to."

Scott Berke continued his hot hitting from the first game of the doubleheader, hitting a double in the first inning of the night cap and after moving up 90 feet on a wild pitch, scored on a Rance Roundy sacrifice fly. The lead would move to 2-0 on back-to-back extra-base hits as DiMaggio doubled and then scored on Anthony Morel's triple to the wall in center.

Maine cut into the lead in the top of the third when George Tager tripled with one out and then scored on Kyle Stilphen's single to right field. Peters got out of the inning by getting a fly out to right and then Rebel catcher DiMaggio, making his first career start behind the plate, threw out Stilphen as he was trying to steal second.

UM took the lead in the top of the eighth, scoring two runs off of Goodman to move out in front 3-2, with Billy Cather hitting a two-run double off the wall in left field, But Goodman kept the lead at one, giving the Rebels the chance to stage their dramatic walk-off win.

UNLV finished the game with seven hits and no errors while Maine collected 10 base knocks and committed one error.

The Rebels and Black Bears close out their series tomorrow afternoon at Earl E. Wilson Stadium, with the first pitch schedule for 3:00 p.m. (PT).