Feb. 27, 2010
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS - In a ninth inning that featured eight runs and rain, UNLV baseball scored three times to rally and beat Temple, 10-9, with the final run coming on an RBI single off the bat of Duncan Satherlie.
The rally allowed the Rebels to extend their winning streak to five games, improving to 5-2 overall, and it gave closer Matt Hutchison (1-0) a win after he blew the save in the top of the ninth. Hutchison came into the game with two on and no one out and gave up four hits which lead to five Owl runs, although all of them were unearned due to an error by Satherlie to start the ninth. Temple fell to 0-5 on the year, with Brian Sustersic (0-1) taking the loss, as he came on in the bottom of the ninth and gave up two runs on three hits.
Following a walk to open the bottom of the ninth, Temple reliever Brian Susteric got a line out, but then the next three Rebel hitters would reach base, highlighted by a two-run single off the bat of Robbie De La Cruz that tied the game at nine. R.J. Arnold then struck out for the second out of the frame, but Satherlie atoned for his error, lofting a well-place ball to left field that ended the game.
The Rebels trailed 4-1 heading into the last of the sixth and the Owls should have been out of the inning, but an error by second baseman Tony Jusino bobbled a ground ball, keeping the inning alive. UNLV capitalize, scoring five runs following the miscue, with the big blow in the inning a bases-loaded triple by Cash Thomas to give UNLV a 5-4 lead.
UNLV added another run in the frame and plated a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to extend its advantage to 7-4, which seemed to be a safe lead entering the ninth, as Brian Gilbertson had not allowed a run in 2.1 innings of relief.
But the inning started with Satherlie's error and after Gilbertson issued a walk, Hutchison was brought in to get out of the jam, but Temple had other ideas. The Owls used four singles to score their five runs, and it appeared as if Temple was going to steal a game and earn its first victory of the year.
Arnold gave the Rebels an early lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the second, the third round tripper of the season for the freshman third baseman. Temple scored the game's next four runs, pushing two runs across the plate in the fourth inning and again in the sixth, for a 4-1 lead, and the final two runs chased UNLV starter Billy Wardell, who lasted 5.2 innings.
Drew Beuerlein had three hits and scored twice, while Thomas finished the game with a pair of hits and the three RBI, as UNLV finished the game with 11 hits and one error. Temple used 11 hits as well to score its nine runs and committed two errors on the day.
UNLV and Temple wrap up their series Saturday, with the final game set for 1:00 p.m. (PT) at Earl E. Wilson Stadium, with Rebel right-hander Andrew Beresford set to take the mound.
