March 20, 2009
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS - UNLV starter Jeff Urlaub worked eight strong innings and Ryan Thornton had three hits, including his fourth home run of the year, in an 11-3 victory over Air Force on Friday night at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Rebels, who moved to 12-7 on the year and picked up their first Mountain West Conference win of the year in four outings. Air Forced dropped to 6-10, 0-4 in league games, with Alex Truesdale (2-3) taking the loss, as he gave up six runs on 12 hits in 5.2 innings of work.
"We continued to swing the bats well tonight," UNLV head coach Buddy Gouldsmith said. "I felt Jeff Urlaub settled down nicely and pitched really well and we played solid defensively and were able to roll four double plays."
Air Force actually scored the game's first two runs on an RBI triple and then a run-scoring single, but Thornton cut that lead in half, leading off the bottom of the first inning by hitting the first pitch he saw over the right-center field wall. UNLV then took the lead for good in the bottom of the second inning, playing three runs when Chad Claus hit a double to center with the bases loaded that cleared the bases for a 4-1 lead.
That would be more than enough for Urlaub, who lasted a career-high eight innings, giving up three runs and striking out five against just one walk in earning the win to move his record to 3-1. Urlaub did give up 12 hits but was able to limit the damage by getting the four double plays behind him, including a stretch of twin killings in the third, fourth and fifth innings.
After the Falcons cut the lead to just one at 4-3, the Rebels responded with two runs of their own as Anthony Morel and Bryan Resnick singled to start the inning and then were driven on a single by Thornton. The lead grew to 7-3 in the bottom of the seventh on a solo home run off the bat of Jarred Frierson, the first of the season for the junior.
UNLV then broke the game open in the eighth on back-to-back home runs, the first a three-run shot to straight away center field by Rance Roundy and then a solo blast by Jesse Wight to right field. The four home runs in the game were a season high for the Rebels and the first back-to-back jacks of the year for the squad, which pounded out 17 hits on the evening.
Seven different Rebels had at least two hits on the evening, and every starter collected at least one hit.
UNLV and Air Force continue their series tomorrow, with the second game of the set slated to begin at 2:00 p.m. (PT) with Tanner Peters taking the mound for the Rebels opposite of Jake Petro for the Falcons.
