Box Score

AUSTIN, Texas (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV baseball team (1-1) was hampered by five fielding miscues and six walks issued by its pitchers in Saturday's 11-2 loss to the No. 23 Texas Longhorns at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. The Rebels fell behind 4-0 before they plated their first run of the game -- a solo home run by Friday night's hero Andrew Yazdanbakhsh. The Scarlet & Gray pushed across its second and final tally in the sixth off an RBI single by Corey Pool.

"We just played unsound baseball," said head coach Stan Stolte. "You can't give a team like that extra opportunities or they will make you pay. It wasn't just the five errors charged to us; there were other plays that we have to make and we didn't. We can't walk as many as we did. We just played poorly in all phases."

The Longhorns struck first with three runs off of three hits and help from two Rebel errors. Zane Gurwitz and Bret Boswell opened the home half of the inning with back-to-back singles off of Kenny Oakley (0-1). Both runners moved into scoring position one batter later when Patrick Mathis dropped down a sacrifice bunt. Tres Barrera then hit an infield single that shortstop Austin Anderson fielded, but wildly threw away. Gurtwitz scored on the base hit, while Boswell and Barrera made their way to third and second base, respectively. The second error of the frame immediately followed when Payton Squier dropped Michael Cantu's fly ball to left field that allowed both runners in scoring position to come home.

UNLV attempted to get back into the affair in its portion of the third, but a pair of strikeouts by Texas starter Ty Culbreth (1-0) canceled out consecutive one-out singles by Yazdanbakhsh and Anderson.

Texas, on the other hand, added to its lead in the second when it was able to string together a walk, a single, a fielding error and a bases-loaded walk to Barrera, which resulted in his second RBI of the contest.

After a scoreless third, Yazdanbakhsh was able to shave one run off of the Rebel deficit with a blast over the fence in left field.

Unfortunately, the Longhorns countered with a two-run, two-hit inning that featured another Rebel error. Gurwitz led off the frame with a triple and was awarded home when Anderson's relay throw bounded out of the area of play. Boswell then doubled to left to put another in scoring position and, subsequently, end Oakley's day on the mound. Cody Roper was summoned from the bullpen, but he wound up walking the first batter he faced before giving up an run two batters later off a fielder's choice.

In the sixth, Texas sent Beau Ridgeway to the mound to spell Culbreth, who surrendered one run off of four hits, while striking out four against one walk, in five innings. Ridgeway was welcomed to the contest by a double by Cooper Esmay. Two batters later, Pool hit a run-scoring single to plate Esmay from third.

The Longhorns added five more runs off of six hits and an error between the seventh and eighth. Tyler Rand was credited with a two-run single in the seventh, while Kody Clemens had a run-scoring base hit a frame later.

Oakley went 3.0 innings and was touched for six runs (four earned) off of seven hits. He struck out three, but walked two.

Rebel skipper Stolte went to the bullpen on three occasions and brought Rober, Tevita Gerber and Ryan Hare into the affair. Roper lasted 3.1 innings and gave up one run and three walks. Gerber went 1.1 innings and was roughed up for four runs (three earned) off of six hits. Hare recorded the final out of the eighth with a strikeout.

Texas' bullpen was more efficient on the second day of the season with four innings of action and only one run allowed. The three relievers -- Ridgeway, Jon Malmin and Nolan Kingham -- combined to allow one run and four hits.

The Rebels and Longhorns return to the diamond for the rubber match of the three-game series Sunday at 1:00 pm CT (11:00 am CT). Game three's probable starters are Ben Wright, who went 1-2 with a 3.83 ERA last season, against Texas' Connor Mayes (2-4, 2.58).