May 1, 2010
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS - UNLV baseball had its way at the plate all afternoon on its way to a 23-8 win over visiting Air Force in a Mountain West Conference matchup on a sunny Saturday at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
The Rebels actually entered the second trailing 1-0 but they would send 12 batters to the plate in the frame, erasing the deficit with seven runs to take a lead they would not relinquish for a second straight win over the Falcons. UNLV moved to 23-19 overall and evened its MWC mark to 7-7, while Air Force is now 11-32 overall and 1-11 in league games.
It was an offensive day at the ball park for the Rebels, who scored a season-high in runs off of a season-best 25 hits, including seven that went for extra bases, although Hunter Beaty had the only home run for UNLV. Eleven different Rebels had at least one base hit, with R.J. Arnold getting four and Beaty and Richie Jimenez each registering three hits.
In the second inning Beaty had a two-run double and Arnold drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single as UNLV moved ahead 7-1. The Falcons scored twice in the top of the third to get within three, but the Rebels answered with three of their own in the bottom of the inning. Nolan Clark drove in the first run on a sacrifice fly and Drew Beuerlein and Brandon Bayardi followed with run-scoring hits to make it 10-3.
UNLV tacked on another run in the fourth for an eight-run advantage, but Air Force chipped away at the lead, scoring single runs in the fifth and sixth innings before a three-run seventh that pulled the Falcons to within 11-8. Addison Gentry doubled in a run in the seventh inning, part of a 4-for-5 day at the plate that included three doubles and four RBI.
That would be as close as the Falcons would get, however, as the Rebels poured it on late, scoring six runs after the stretch and then six more in the eighth inning to win going away. Beaty hit a two-run home run, his second of the season, to start the scoring in the seventh. In the eighth inning the Rebels saw three different players record run-scoring hits, as head coach Buddy Gouldsmith emptied his bench.
Rebel reliever Brian Gilbertson was credited with the win, his first decision of the season, as he worked 3.1 innings of relief. Air Force starter Kincaid Koehler (2-7) took the loss, giving up six runs on six hits in 1.1 innings of work before he was chased in the big second inning.
UNLV and Air Force wrap up their series on Sunday with the first pitch set for 1:00 p.m. (PT) at Wilson Stadium, with Matt Hutchison taking the mound for the Rebels. The game is part of Air Force weekend, and among the promotions, all military personnel and family are free. Sunday's game is also Kid's Day at the ball park, and all tickets are just $1.
