Box Score

SAN DIEGO (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV baseball team (12-18, 5-9 Mountain West) jumped out to a four-run lead, but was unable to hold onto it en route to a 9-7 loss to the San Diego State Aztecs (8-20, 3-8 MW) Saturday at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Aztecs, which trailed 7-3, drew even with four scores in the seventh and pushed ahead one inning later with the help of back-to-back home runs.

Saturday's affair was originally scheduled to start at 2:00 pm; however, it was moved up to 11:00 am due to the forecast of inclement weather later in the day.

Only one of the game's 16 runs was scored before the fourth inning, and it came in the Aztecs' opening at-bat. UNLV starter Kenny Oakley surrendered a leadoff double that was followed by consecutive singles, the second of which by Alan Trejo that plated teammate Justin Wylie from third.

UNLV's offense awoke in the fourth and produced its seven runs and nine hits between it and the seventh stanzas. In the fourth, the Rebels got a leadoff single from Cooper Esmay, who later scored on an RBI single by Justin Jones. Moments after stealing second base Jones scored from second off an RBI double by Andrew Yazdanbakhsh.

SDSU answered back with a run of its own in its half of the fourth with the help of one hit and a pair of Rebel errors. Andrew Brown and Wylie found themselves on second and first due to a throwing error and a single, respectively. With teammate Chase Calabuig at the plate, both runners executed a double steal that also included a throwing error, and it allowed Brown to score and tie the game at 2-all.

Both squads scored once in the fifth, as UNLV got its tally from a double play grounded into by Kyle Isbel, while SDSU's was off an RBI double by Jordan Verdon. Nick Rodriguez scored the run for the Rebels after he led off with a single and took third after a fielding error.

The Scarlet & Gray scored four straight to push out to a 7-3 lead. The four-run stretch began in the sixth when Jones notched a two-out double and later scored on Yazdanbakhsh's second RBI hit of the day â€" a single. The Rebels scored three more in the seventh off doubles by Esmay and A.J. VanMeetren, the former knocked in two to the latter's one RBI. Cody Howard (fielder's choice) and Isbel (walk) scored off Esmay's hit.

"It came down to our bullpen to get the job done and they didn't," said head coach Stan Stolte. "Kenny gave us a chance and he kept us in the game. I just didn't push the right buttons with the guys that followed him. (The Aztecs) did to us what we did to them last night."

The Aztecs turned things around in their half of the seventh when they got a sacrifice fly from Tyler Adkison, and run-scoring hits from Brown (RBI single) and Wylie (two-run double) against UNLV reliever Ryan Hare, who had pitched a perfect sixth.

Tevita Gerber (0-1) came into the affair in replace of Hare and recorded the final out. Gerber stayed in the game to pitch the eighth and got two quick outs, but then allowed solo homers to Spencer Thornton and Adkison. Gerber was saddled with the loss after he allowed two runs off of three hits in one inning.

SDSU's Chris Collins (2-0) earned the win in three innings of relief despite allowing three runs off of three hits. Collins struck out four against one walk. He followed Marcus Reyes and Adrian Orozco, who combined to give up four runs (three earned) off of six hits with four K's and one walk in six innings.

Oakley left the mound in line for the win, but ended up with a no-decision after he tossed five innings. He allowed three runs (two earned) off of eight hits with three walks and one strikeout.

The teams return to Tony Gwynn Stadium Sunday at 1:00 pm for the rubber game of the series. UNLV will send Dean Kremer (1-3, 6.32 ERA) to the mound against the Aztecs.

NOTES: Isbel extended his reached-base streak to 14 games with a walk, but his hitting streak was snapped at 13 … Esmay extended his hitting streak to seven games with another two-hit game … UNLV evened its record to 3-3 in games decided by two runs … Saturday's loss was the second instance in nine tries that UNLV was defeated after it led through seven innings … UNLV dropped to 5-6 when it scores six runs or more and 2-17 when its opposition scores six or more runs … UNLV dropped to 0-8 in games taking place on Saturdays.