April 1, 2011

Box Score

SALT LAKE CITY (UNLVRebels.com) - Behind a stellar effort from starting pitcher Tanner Peters, the UNLV baseball team rallied late to break a 1-1 tie and take game one over the University of Utah, 6-1, in the series opener tonight at Spring Mobile Ballpark.

Peters (5-1) scattered seven hits and gave up just one run in his third complete-game effort this season. He struck out eight batters and hurled 114 pitches, including 84 for strikes.

Trevor Kirk and Ryan Scott each had three hits on the night while Brandon Bayardi notched two RBI and finished 2-for-4 to lead the Rebel offense.

UNLV (19-9, 2-5 Mountain West) jumped out to a 1-0 lead after the top of the first following Bayardi's RBI single through the right side, scoring Kirk who had led off with a single before stealing second and advancing to third on a throwing error by catcher Jo Jo Sharrar.

The Utes (11-10, 4-2 Mountain West) evened things up in the bottom of the fourth on a Cody Guymon RBI single to left.

Following three straight scoreless innings, the Rebel offense exploded in the eighth, roughing up Kelsey Kondo to the tune of four runs on five hits to take a 5-1 lead. Hunter Beaty reached first after being hit by a pitch and advanced to third on Trent Cook's single to left. Bayardi's second RBI single of the night scored the go-ahead run before Scott Berke singled in Casey Sato who had pinch ran for Bayardi. Utah then turned to the pen and brought in Stephen Streich, who promptly gave up an RBI single to Scott to round out the inning.

Peters cruised after allowing just his sixth earned run of the year in the fourth, yielding four hits over the next five innings. Beaty capped the scoring at 6-1 after doubling to left to lead off the ninth and scoring on Cash Thomas' sacrifice bunt.

The Rebels and Utes will be back in action tomorrow with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m. PT at Spring Mobile Ballpark.