April 12, 2011
Box Score
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV baseball team dropped its fifth Tuesday game of the season, falling to UC Riverside, 6-5, here tonight at the Riverside Sports Complex.
The Rebels (22-13) jumped out to an early 5-1 lead, but a five-run fifth inning for the Highlanders (15-12) proved to be the difference as they were able to hold on for the one-run win.
Trevor Kirk led the game off with a single to right and stole second before Scott Dysinger singled up the middle to give the Rebels runners at first and second with no outs. Back-to-back RBI singles from Trent Cook and Brandon Bayardi gave UNLV a 2-0 lead. After Rance Roundy reached on a fielder's choice, Ryan Scott's single through the right side cleared the bases and capped the scoring at 4-0 in the top of the first.
Bryan Horst's RBI fielder's choice in the bottom of the second cut the lead to 4-1, but the Highlanders could not capitalize, stranding two runners in the second.
Cory Ginther made his first start this season and kept UC Riverside in check through the first four innings, allowing just one run on three hits.
Bayardi led the Rebel third off with a double down the left field line and scored two batters later on Scott's groundout to second to extend the lead to 5-1. Bayardi, this week's Mountain West Conference Player of the Week, is 10-for-16 with 10 RBI in his last four games.
After giving up back-to-back singles to start the fifth, Ginther was replaced by Brady Zuniga. Zuniga walked Justin Shults to load the bases before a wild pitch allowed Trevor Hairgrove to score, cutting the lead down to 5-2. Tony Nix's RBI single one batter later scored Ryan Goetz to make it a 5-3 game. David Andriese's line drive back to the mound hit Zuniga in the head, knocking him to the ground. Zuniga would leave the field conscious in an ambulance before play resumed.
Brandon Rainford entered for UNLV and promptly recorded the first out of the inning before yielding a two-run single through the right side that knotted the game at 5-5. Horst's second RBI of the night gave the Highlanders their first lead of the game at 6-5 before Rainford was able to get Eddie Young to ground out to second to end the inning.
Scott doubled to lead off the sixth and made his way to third following a Richie Jimenez groundout, but was stranded following strikeouts by Scott Berke and Danny Higa.
Bayardi led the eighth off with a single and tried to make it to home on Scott's double down the right field line, but the Highlander relay was in time catcher Dan Pellegrino applied the tag at the plate, proving to be the last chance UNLV would have at tying the game as Mitch Patito worked a three-up, three-down ninth to secure the win.
The Rebels will be back in action with a three-game series this week against MWC rival BYU at Wilson Stadium. First pitched on Thursday night is slated for 7:05 p.m. at Wilson Stadium.
