Feb. 22, 2009
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS - UNLV baseball battled back several times but could not mount a ninth-inning rally in losing to Maine, 11-9, in the final of a four-game series Sunday afternoon at Earl E. Wilson Stadium to open the 2009 season.
UNLV (3-1) saw its three-game winning streak to open the year stopped and Justin Baca (0-1) took the loss, being charged with two unearned runs in the top of the ninth. Maine (1-3) earned its first win of the year and Matt Klaczkiewicz (1-0) worked three innings of relief to close it out, giving up two runs on five hits.
It was a back-and-forth game, with the teams trading runs throughout the afternoon and into the evening, as both squads combined for 20 runs on 26 hits, including eight extra-base hits. Rebel junior catcher Drew Beuerlein had the biggest impact at the plate of anyone, drilling two home runs and going 4-for-4 with four runs scored and three RBI.
Beuerlein's first round tripper was a two-run shot in the bottom of the fourth that brought the Rebels to within one at 5-4, and he also added a solo shot in the sixth that tied the game at six. UNLV would go on to score another run in the frame on a double by Bryan Resnick that scored Anthony Morel to make it a 7-6 affair.
After the Rebels moved he lead to 8-6 on a Jesse Wight RBI double, the Black Bears closed the game by scoring five of the next six runs to salvage a win in the four-game series. Maine pushed three runs across the board in the top of the eighth on two run-scoring singles and a walk to regain the lead at 9-8. UNLV tied the game in the bottom of the eighth when Beuerlein doubled and then scored on a ground out, but the Black Bears scored twice on a single by Kevin McAvoy off of Baca.
Following a ground out to start the bottom of the ninth, Wight walked on four pitches and Ryan Thornton came to the plate as the tying run as the Rebels attempted to rally once again. Klaczkiewicz struck out Thornton on full-count breaking ball and then got Trent Fuller swinging to end the game.
UNLV remains at home and will welcome in Arizona to Earl E. Wilson Stadium for a two-game set that starts Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. (PT), and the contest will be carried live on 1400 KSPH AM.
