April 21, 2009

Final Stats

LUBBOCK, Texas - UNLV baseball jumped out to an early lead against Texas Tech but could not make it stand, losing 10-6 to the Red Raiders in a non-conference game on Tuesday night at Dan Law Field.

The loss snapped the Rebels' five-game winning streak and dropped the team to 20-19 overall on the year, as Matt Hutchison (1-2) took the loss, giving up four runs in three innings of work and striking out two. Texas Tech improved to 19-24 overall with Nate Karns (3-4) picking up the win, allowing three hits and two runs over five innings on the mound.

UNLV opened up the game by scoring two runs in the top of the first, as J.J. Sferra led off with a single and then came around to score on Jared Frierson's double down the left-field line to make the score 1-0. The hit extended Sferra's hitting streak to 28 games, and the center fielder would finish the game going 1-for-4. Frierson would cross the plate on a single by Ryan Thornton, extending the Rebels' lead to 2-0.

After a scoreless first inning the Red Raiders mounted a comeback, scoring runs in each of the five innings, beginning with a single run in the second, followed by three in the third to move out in front, 4-3. TTU added a trio of runs in the fourth, two in the fifth and one in the sixth to jump out to a 10-2 advantage. Hutchison left the mound after three innings of work, and then four more relievers would pitch in the game.

The Rebels attempted to come back, scoring a pair of runs in the eighth on a solo home run by Anthony Morel and then an RBI ground out that scored Joe DiMaggio, who had tripled to right-center. Then in the top of the ninth inning UNLV staged a two-out rally, as Jesse Wight, Rance Roundy, Scott Berke and Morel all singled, driving in a pair of runs and putting two men on base. But DiMaggio could not keep the single streak going, grounding out to short to end the game.

Thornton and Frierson each had a pair of hits as part of a 10-hit attack by the Rebels, and Morel drove in a pair of runs. Texas Tech pounded out 17 hits on the evening, led by Justin Berry, who went 4-for-5 with four runs scored and two RBI.

UNLV and Texas Tech wrap up their short two-game series on Wednesday, with the first pitch set for 10:00 a.m. (PT) and then the Rebels will travel to Colorado Springs for a three-game set against Air Force that begins Friday.