UNLV Splits with Tech

LUBBOCK, Texas - UNLV reliever Marc Baca struckout Geoff Byrns with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning to preserve a 5-4 win over Texas Tech on Wednesday afternoon at Dan Law Field. The loss ends the two-game series in a 1-1 tie as Tech won the first game 7-6 on Tuesday evening. The Red Raiders fall to 13-6 on the season while UNLV improves to 9-12. The Red Raiders had plenty of chances throughout the game as Tech stranded a total of 10 runners on base, including five over the final three innings. UNLV had posted a shutout through the first six innings of the game before Tech finally got on the board in the bottom of the seventh. Tim Ahern came in as a pinch hitter for freshman catcher Carter Gwinn in the bottom of the seventh and belted a two run inside-the-park home run to right field. UNLV right fielder Calvin Beamon crashed into the right field wall trying to make a play and the game was forced into a small delay for both training staffs to examine him on the field. With Tech trailing 3-2 in the top of the eighth, head coach Larry Hays replaced James Leverton in favor of Colt Hynes after he gave up a leadoff single to Effren Navarro Jr. Hynes, making his first relief appearance of the season, allowed three hits in the inning and UNLV pushed its lead back to three runs, 5-2. Tech answered again in the bottom of the eighth as Kyle Martin added an RBI double and freshman left fielder Taylor Ashy an RBI single to pull Tech back within one (5-4). Junior Don Muth led off the ninth inning with his first plate appearance of the season and made it count with a hard hit single up the middle. An intentional walk of Roger Kieschnick and a walk by Kyle Martin loaded the bases for the Red Raiders with two outs in the inning. UNLV reliever Marc Baca ended the threat when he caught Tech first baseman Geoff Byrns looking on a 3-2 count. Josh Scofield suffered the loss after giving up two runs on four hits over five innings of work. Ryan Tabor picked up the win for UNLV by tossing 5 1/3 shutout innings and holding Tech to just four hits. The save by Baca was his fourth. Texas Tech returns to action on Friday evening as the Red Raiders open up play in the 2007 Whataburger College Classic. The Red Raiders will face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 3 p.m. at Whataburger Field in what will be the first game of the classic. R H E UNLV 001 010 120 5 11 2 Texas Tech 000 000 220 4 10 1 WP = Tabor (2-0) LP = Scofield (0-1) SV = Baca (4) Game Notes * Texas Tech left 10 runners on bases today and marks the sixth time this season that the Red Raiders have stranded 10-plus runners. Tech`s season high is 15 set against Northern Illinois on Feb. 24, 2007. * James Leverton led the Tech offense with a 3-for-4 day at the plate and has registered a three-hit game now three times over the last eight games. * Junior catcher Matt Smith was held out of today`s game due to a cold. --TTU--