LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV baseball team (2-8) was unable to close out Saturday's nonconference contest against the Crieghton Bluejays (4-4) at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. The Rebels carried a 3-0 lead into the ninth inning; however, the Big East visitors from Omaha, Nebraska, rallied to even the score at 3-all and eventually win the game, 4-3, with a run in the 11th inning.
The Rebels struck first off a two-out triple in the fourth by
Grant Robbins, which scored
Austin Pfeifer and
Chris Dunn from second and first, respectively.
UNLV upped its lead to three runs in the eighth off an RBI double by
Jack-Thomas Wold.
Alex Sardina came around to score on the two-base hit after he had led off the inning by striking out, but reached first when the final pitch of the at-bat made its way to the backstop.
Rebel starter
Chase Maddux wound up with a no-decision after going 7.2 innings and striking out nine batters, both of which were career bests, without any walks. Maddux only allowed four hits and held the Bluejays off the scoreboard, while registering four 1-2-3 innings.
The Bluejays answered back in the ninth with help from three hits off Rebel reliever
Conner Woods and a pair of UNLV defensive miscues. Creighton put runners in scoring position off a one-out error and a double. Garrett Gilbert knocked both in with a single, and later came around to tie the affair at 3-all when a single by teammate Nick Gile was misplayed in center field and allowed him to score.
Creighton took the lead in the 11th off an RBI triple by Jack Grace that brought home David Vilches, who led off with a walk issued by
Austin Bryan (0-1), for the go-ahead run.
TURNING POINT: In the 10th, UNLV had the bases loaded with only one out, but was unable to push across the would-be winning run. With
James Gamble game on third and one out, the Rebels were unable to connect on a suicide squeeze attempt, which resulted in Gamble being tagged out at the plate for the second out. The inning came to an end with a strikeout, and Creighton carried the momentum of the 10th into its game-winning 11th inning at-bat.
QUOTABLE: "That was a tough loss," said head coach
Stan Stolte. "We didn't get the easy out in the ninth with one out and it came back to bite us. We had a couple terrible at-bats in the extra innings that could have helped salvage the game. Chase (Maddux) was as good as I've ever seen him, and he deserved better."
NOTES:
-With one hit, Gamble has extended his hitting streak to six straight and reached-base streak to six games.
-With one hit, Sardina has reached base safely in eight straight games.
-Saturday's loss was the second this week that has occurred in an 11-inning game.
UP NEXT: UNLV closes out its nonconference series against Creighton at 1:05 pm Sunday. Prior to the game, the Rebel baseball program will honor the legacy of former head coach Tim Chambers who passed away last October. His wife Kimberlie and daughters, McKenzie and Chase, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
