Feb. 26, 2017 Box Score
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV baseball team (3-4) scattered 10 hits in Sunday's rubber game against the No. 7 Cal State Fullerton Titans (4-3), but was unable to push across any runs en route to a 5-0 loss. The Titans jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening inning and never looked back as their pitching staff only allowed one Rebel to reach third base in the ball game.
Fullerton struck for those early runs in the first when UNLV starter Garrett Poole (1-1) issued a one-out walk and hit the following batter. Taylor Bryant and Chris Hudgins followed with RBI off a double and a groundout, respectively.
Poole got out of the first and blanked the Titans until they got an RBI single from Jake Pavletich in the seventh. Sahid Valenzuela scored on Pavletich's base hit after he had initially reached on his own single and then advanced to second on a balk committed by Poole.
For the game, Poole pitched 7.0 innings and allowed three runs off of six hits. He struck out three against two walks.
"I thought we went toe to toe with a very good team," said head coach Stan Stolte. If we would have thrown up a zero in the top of the eighth today, I still think we would have had a chance to put some pressure on them late. I believe we can hit better than we showed, but good pitching beat good hitting this weekend. You have to tip your hat to the Fullerton pitchers."
The Southern California squad added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth off Rebel reliever Blaze Bohall. Hudgins was responsible for both scores off a two-run single that plated Ruben Cardenas and Bryant after the pair had reached off a fielding error and a double, respectively.
The Titans' John Gavin earned the win â€" his second of the year â€" behind an eight-hit shutout. Gavin struck out six and only allowed a pair of runners to make their way into scoring position in the affair.
Gavin gave way to teammate Brett Conine who tossed the final 1.2 innings. Conine struck out two, but allowed two hits.
The Rebel offense was paced by two-hit efforts from Bryson Stott and Payton Squier. Kyle Isbel, Nick Ames, Max Smith, Austin Anderson and Cody Howard also had a hit in Sunday's game for UNLV.
UNLV's best scoring opportunity came in the eighth when it got back-to-back one-out singles from Howard and Isbel that forced Fullerton to make the Gavin for Conine swap on the mound. Stott welcomed Conine to the game with a single that loaded the bases; however, the reliever worked out of the threat by inducing a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.
In the ninth, Ames drilled a double to left center, but as left stranded when Conine was able to get the next three out to end the contest.
The Scarlet & Gray close out its nine-game homestand at Wilson Stadium Tuesday (6:05 pm) and Wednesday (2:05 pm) against the UC Riverside Highlanders, who enter the midweek series with a 4-2 overall record. The Highlanders come to town after going 3-1 on the week with a win at UCLA and a 2-1 mark in a three-game set at Fresno State.
Tickets can be purchased online and in-advance for $5 at UNLVTickets.com. Tickets purchased at the gate are $8 for adults, $6 for senior/faculty/staff, while kids 12 and under as well as UNLV students are free of charge.
Tuesday's affair vs. UC Riverside has been billed as a "$2 Tuesday," as tickets and hot dogs are both $2 and beer has been discounted by $2.
NOTES: Stott has hit safely in all seven of UNLV's games this season and has scattered multiple-hits in six of those … Ames has hit safely in six straight, as well … Three Rebels â€" Stott, Isbel and Squier â€" have all reached base safely in all seven contests … UNLV has registered double digits in hits five times this season, including Sunday's 10-hit effort.
