Box Score

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV baseball team (21-25 overall, 11-12 Mountain West) suffered a 6-2 setback to the New Mexico Lobos (32-17, 17-6 MW) in rainy conditions at Earl E. Wilson Stadium Saturday. The Rebels jumped out to an early 1-0 lead thanks to a home run by Nick Ames, but the Lobos' five unanswered scores turned things for the worse.

Ames opposite-field solo homer came after the two sides combined to leave eight runners on base through the initial 3.5 innings of the contest. The Rebels were guilty of stranding five, including a bases-loaded situation in the first inning and another runner at third base in the third. The Lobos, on the other hand, left one on in the first, second and third.

After the fourth, UNLV stranded a single runner in the fifth, sixth and eighth and three more in the ninth. In total, the Rebels stranded 11 to eight from the Lobos.

UNM's offense awoke in the fifth; however, only one hit fueled its four-run inning. UNLV starter Kenny Oakley (4-6), who had retired five straight batters and nine of 10, got a bit wild and hit one and walked another to put two on base. Oakley was able to get the second out of the inning to fly out, but a miscue at second base off a fielder's choice kept the inning alive for the Lobos. With the bases loaded, Carl Stajduhar hit a grand slam to center field to turn a one-run deficit into a 4-1 lead.

The Cherry & Silver added another run to its half of the scoreboard off a pair of hits from Jared Mang and Erick Migueles in the sixth. Mang led off with a single, and then motored around from first when Migueles doubled to right-center field. The run-scoring hit spelled the end of Oakley's day on the mound, as the Rebels went to the bullpen and summoned Tevita Gerber into the game. The reliever allowed a single to the first batter he faced, but worked out of the jam with three quick outs.

"UNM did what it had to do to win," said head coach Stan Stolte. "We had one bad inning and they took advantage of it. We hit their eight hitter, walked the nine hitter, didn't make a play in the middle, didn't get a strike-3 call and then left a pitch up. Their pitcher (Tyler Stevens) did a good job pitching with a lead with out help. Tomorrow should be a good test for both teams."

The teams scored one run apiece in the ninth with RBI singles from UNM's Jake Zoellner and UNLV's Kyle Isbel.

In their final at-bat, the Rebels got walks to Cooper Esmay and Vince Taormina before Isbel's run-scoring hit two batters later. Two batters after that, Payton Squier was walked to load the bags, but a chopper to third ended the threat and game.

UNM's Tyler Stevens (7-3) picked up the win after he allowed only one run off of seven hits in eight innings. Stevens struck out six and walked four. Alex Estrella and Christian Tripp followed him to the mound. The former gave up one run off of two walks and one hit in 0.1 innings while Tripp got the final two outs to earn save (3).

Oakley lost the affair after throwing five innings. He struck out four, but surrendered five runs (one earned) off of four hits and three walks. Gerber allowed one run off of four hits in three innings of relief. Christian Myers threw a scoreless ninth for UNLV.

The Scarlet & Gray concludes its three-game series with the Lobos Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 12:05 pm. The Rebels will stay home next week with four games at Wilson Stadium beginning with Tuesday's affair (6:05 pm) with the Arizona State Sun Devils.

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NOTES: Squier achieved his 19th multiple-hit game of the season with his seventh three-hit effort … UNLV dropped to 6-11 in games that the opposition scores between 6-9 runs … UNLV dropped to 3-8 in games that its offense scores between 0-2 runs … UNLV dropped to 15-8 in games that its offense scores first … UNLV dropped to 6-21 in games that the opposition outhits the team.