March 18, 2009
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS - UNLV baseball had a one-run lead after seven innings but Nevada, Reno exploded for six runs in the eighth and three in the ninth to beat the Rebels, 14-6, on Wednesday night at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
The Rebels had just scored three runs after the seventh-inning stretch to move back in front, 6-5, but they could not finish out the game in losing their fourth straight to fall to 11-7 overall on the season. UNR improved to 7-10 on the year, with Tyler Graham (1-2) earning the win, getting the final out of the seventh inning and then benefitting from the Wolf Pack rally.
UNLV scored the game's first run of the game in the top of the first inning but the Rebels answered with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame. They used a trio of singles to start the inning for the first run, with Drew Beuerlein driving in J.J. Sferra to tie the game at one. Then with two out and runners at the corners, Jarred Frierson hit a fielder's choice to second that allowed Scott Berke to score, making it a 2-1 ball game.
Following a scoreless second the Wolf Pack retook the lead with three runs in the top of the third, with UNR collecting five singles in six trips to the plate to open the inning for the first two runs of the rally. Shaun Kort capped the rally with a run-scoring single as well, moving the score to 5-2 and the Wolf Pack were able to chase UNLV starter Andrew Beresford in the frame.
Ryan Thornton pulled the Rebels to within one in the bottom of the third, drilling his third home run of the season, a solo shot to left field that made it 4-3, but UNR tacked on a run in the fourth on an RBI single to move the lead back to two.
The eighth inning started with a fly out, but Thornton hustled his way to a double and then after a wild pitch, scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Frierson, making it a 5-4 game. Anthony Morel singled through the left side to keep the inning alive and UNR went to the bullpen, bringing in Tyler Graham to pitch to Jesse Wight. He hit a towering pop fly behind third base that looked to be the third out, but the shortstop could not track the ball and it fell for a double, putting runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the inning. Kyle Kretchmer made the Wolf Pack pay for the miscue, hitting a single back up the middle to drive in Morel and Wight, giving the Rebels a 6-5 lead.
That lead would be short-lived as the Wolf Pack exploded for six runs on five hits, including two-run base hits by Kevin Rodland and Kort to take an 11-6 lead. Matt Hutchison (1-1), who had kept the Rebels in the game with strong relief work before taking the loss, left with two runners on base, turning the game over to Marc Baca. The right hander couldn't get an out, giving up four runs, three earned, on four hits before giving way to his brother, Justin Baca, and UNR would tack on three more in the ninth to cap the scoring.
UNLV finished the game with 14 hits, including three by Wight, who went 3-for-5 and scored a run, while Sferra also had a trio of hits and scored once. UNR collected 18 hits, with Brock Stassi going 4-for-6 with four RBI and two runs scored.
UNLV remains at home this weekend, hosting Air Force in a three-game series at Earl E. Wilson Stadium that gets underway on Friday, and it is the first Mountain West Conference home games of the season for the Rebels.
