Box Score

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV baseball team (8-14, 3-6 Mountain West) was outscored by five runs between the seventh and eighth innings in its 7-4 loss to the Nevada, Reno Wolf Pack (10-12, 4-4 MW) Saturday afternoon at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. The Rebels led by two runs, 3-1, after six innings of play, but three defensive miscues coupled with six hits and three walks flipped the game around for the visitors from up north.

The series sweep gives the Wolf Pack a three-game lead over the Rebels towards the three points awarded for the sport towards the final standings of the Governor's Series presented by NV Energy and Barrick Gold. The Silver State squads will resume this year's head-to-head action in Reno from May 19-21. To date, UNLV leads the all-encompassing athletic and academic competition by three points, 10.5 to 7.5.

The Rebels got on the board first with two runs in their half of the first inning, and moments after starting pitcher Kenny Oakley (2-3) was able to get out of a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout and a double play. Austin Anderson started the offensive with a one-out single prior to UNLV being helped by three follies by the Wolf Pack. Payton Squier joined Anderson on the base paths when centerfielder T.J. Friedl dropped a fly ball to left-center. Corey Pool then hit a single through the right side that the rightfielder, Cole Krzmarzick, overran and allowed Anderson to score after he had been held at third. A fielder's choice helped Squier advance 90 feet to third base before a wild pitch by UNR starter Trenton Brooks (2-3) let him touch home plate with ease.

UNR answered back in the second with a run of its own off back-to-back hits by Justin Bridgman and Keaton Smith, the second of which was an RBI double.

After a scoreless third, UNLV pushed back ahead by two runs with help from a three-hit fourth inning. Andrew Yazdanbakhsh led off with a single and took second following a sac bunt by A.J. VanMeetren. Yazdanbakhsh advanced to third after Nick Rodriguez's singled. Kyle Isbel stepped up two batters later and notched an RBI single to left to up the score to 3-1.

The Wolf Pack took control of the game in the seventh when it loaded the bases with a single and a pair of one-out walks issued by Oakley. After a strikeout produced the second out, the hurler gave up a two-run single that evened the score at 3-all. The Rebels then went to the bullpen and brought in Blaze Bohall, who incuded a would-be inning-ending groundout, but Rodriguez was unable to field the ball. With the bases loaded, Grant Fennell stepped in and hit the Pack's second two-run single of the stanza to put his squad ahead by two at 5-3.

"We got beat in the 7-8-9 innings again," said Rebel head coach Stan Stolte. "We have to make plays and pitches at crunch time. Offensively, we left 14 guys on base. We just don't want to drive guys in. It's frustrating to watch, but we we're going to keep searching for ways to get this turned around. Again, Kenny Oakley pitched his butt off, and deserved a better fate."

UNLV got one run back in its seventh-inning at-bat off a two-out RBI single by Justin Jones that scored Squier from second after he had initially reached off a one-out double. Unfortunately, that run was the last for the home team, as the Wolf Pack tacked on two more in the eighth.

Brooks picked up the win in six innings of work. He struck out five against three runs (two earned), seven hits and three walks. His teammate Evan McMahan pitched a scoreless ninth, although he allowed one hit and one walk, for his second save of the season.

Oakley surrendered five runs (three earned) off of seven hits in 6.2 innings. In defeat, he also walked six batters.

The Rebels return to Wilson Stadium for a pair of games against the No. 23 Texas Tech Red Raiders that will close out a six-game homestand. UNLV and Tech will square off Monday evening at 6:05 pm and, once more, Tuesday at 1:05 pm.