April 2, 2011

Box Score

SALT LAKE CITY (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV baseball team suffered its first loss this weekend to the University of Utah, 8-4, unable to hold off a late Ute rally here tonight at Spring Mobile Ballpark.

Joe Robinson (3-3) was charged with the loss for the Rebels (19-10, 2-6 Mountain West) after giving up six runs in six innings on the hill. Trevor Kirk went 3-for-5 from the plate and was one of four different Rebels to post an RBI on the day.

UNLV got on the board early with a three-run second inning. Scott Berke walked and scored one batter later on Travis Feiner's double to right center to make it 1-0. Cash Thomas singled up the middle, scoring Feiner while Kirk's RBI base knock rounded out the scoring for UNLV.

Rance Roundy's RBI groundout in the fifth pushed the UNLV lead to 4-1, but the Rebel offense would go cold after that, collecting just one hit over the ensuing four innings.

The Utes took a 5-4 lead after a four-run sixth and tacked on three more in the seventh to push it to 8-4. Utah loaded the bases in the sixth before Austin Shackelford's RBI single closed the gap to two at 4-2. Jo JO Sharrar's bases-clearing double to right center scored three and gave the Utes their first lead of the game at 5-4.

Shackelford's two-run homer in the seventh closed out the scoring at 8-4 and evened the series up at a game apiece heading into Sunday's finale in Salt Lake.

Tyler Wagner pitched two shutout innings in the eighth and ninth, allowing just one base runner while striking out three to secure the win for the Utes.

Sunday's rubber match is scheduled to start at 12 p.m. PT at Spring Mobile Park.