Box Score

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV baseball team (8-12, 3-4 Mountain West) was unable to hold onto a five-run lead in its 7-5 loss to the Nevada, Reno Wolf Pack (8-12, 2-4 MW) at Earl E. Wilson Stadium Thursday night. The Rebels staked themselves to the advantage with three runs in the third and two in the sixth. Unfortunately, the UNR offense awoke in the seventh and cut into its deficit inning by inning before it eventually took the lead in the ninth.

Thursday's game, which is part of the Governor's Series presented by NV Energy and Barrick Gold, marked the third straight that the Scarlet & Gray has played in that has been decided in the ninth inning. The previous two were Sunday's 4-3 loss at Fresno State and Tuesday's 10-8 defeat to Grand Canyon.

The Rebels broke open a scoreless affair in the third when they got some help from the Wolf Pack's defense and a pair of run-scoring hits by Justin Jones and Vince Taormina. Austin Anderson and Payton Squier got the offensive started when the former reached off a one-out fielding error by UNR's third baseman, while the latter was walked. After Christian Stolo recorded the second out, UNLV got Jones' hit, a walk to Andrew Yazdanbakhsh and then Taormina's hit in succession. Taormina's hit was a single up the middle that UNR's shortstop corralled, but threw wildly to first and allowed a second runner to score with ease.

Kyle Isbel, Anderson and Squier bumped the lead to five runs when they strung together three consecutive two-out hits in the sixth. After Isbel singled up the middle, Anderson laced a double to right-center field for an RBI. Squier followed with an RBI single to shallow left-center.

D.J. Myers held the Wolf Pack's offense in check through six innings of the contest and forced the opposition to strand five runners, three of which were in the first inning. The hurler worked out of the bases-loaded situation in the opening frame and was helped with a pair of double plays by his defense in the second and fifth. He walked one each in the third and sixth, but both were left behind when the third out in each frame was recorded.

UNR got to Myers in the seventh when a leadoff walk and three straight singles produced two runs. Following the third hit, UNLV went to the bullpen and brought in Ryan Hare, but he quickly hit the first batter and uncorked a wild pitch to allow another run to score. After Hare walked the second batter he faced, Ben Wright (1-2) was summoned from the bullpen to get the Rebels out of the jam, which he did with a fly out and a groundout.

Wright stayed in to pitch the eighth and surrendered a single and a walk before both were moved into scoring position off a sacrifice bunt. An RBI groundout shaved UNLV's lead to one run, 5-4, before the hurler induced another grounder to end the inning.

The Wolf Pack began the ninth with a single and got its runner to second base off another successful sac bunt. Wright then walked the next batter, but came back and struck out the one that followed for the second out of the inning. Down to their final out and with its batter facing an 0-2 count, UNR's Jordan Pearce drew the score even at 5-all with the first of three RBI singles produced by himself, Cole Krzmarzick and Justin Bridgman.

"Anytime you come within one pitch of winning and you don't get it done it's a tough pill to swallow, but that's baseball," said head coach Stan Stolte. "You have to get all 27 outs. We had a lot of things that didn't go our way, but we still need to overcome those regardless."

In their half of the ninth, the Rebels got a two-out single by Corey Pool, but a foul out concluded the contest.

Wright was saddled with the loss after he was roughed up for four runs off of five hits. He struck out one, but walked two.

UNR's Evan McMahan (1-0) picked up the win in three innings of scoreless relief. McMahan struck out three against one walk and one hit. His starting pitcher, Stolo, went 5.2 frames and struck out eight, but was touched for five runs (two earned) off of seven hits and four walks.

Myers struck out seven in 6.1 innings in his no-decision. The Rebel starter allowed three runs off of six hits and four walks.

UNLV and UNR return to Wilson Stadium for game two of the three-game set Friday night at 6:05 pm. While supplies last, fans will receive mini replica baseball bat bottle openers.

NOTES: Squier extended his reached-base streak to 18 games with help from three hits and one walk … Squier has recorded at least one base hit in 18 of UNLV's 20 games … With help of those hits, Squier has at least one hit in the last six games â€" he had an 11-game hitting streak earlier this season … UNLV started the season with a 7-1 mark in games decided by two runs or less, but has seen three straight losses move the statistic to 7-4, including 3-2 in two-run affairs.