Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
UNLV
Big Fifth Inning Lifts UNLV Past Northwestern
3/12/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 11, 2010
LAS VEGAS - Northwestern jumped out to an early lead, but UNLV scored nine times in the bottom of the fifth inning on its way to a 12-4 win in the opening game of a four-game series Thursday night at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
The Wildcats got on UNLV starter Tanner Peters for a run in the top of the first as Chad Noble singled with one away, stole second, advanced to third and then scored on a pair of wild pitches.
NU extended its lead to 2-0 in the third. Trevor Stevens started the frame with a single and then stole second base. After moving up 90 feet on a balk, Chris Lashmet brought him home with a two-out RBI single.
Wildcat starting pitcher Joe Muraski held the Rebels down through the first four frames, but the hosts finally broke through in a big way in the fifth. UNLV tied the game on a pair of run-scoring singles. Northwestern was one out away from getting out of the inning with any further damage, but an error opened the door for seven more runs coming across as the Rebels were able to break the game open.
UNLV added two more runs in the sixth before the Wildcats got one back in the top of the seventh on Lashmet's second RBI single of the game to make it 11-3.
The Rebels answered with solo tally of their own in their half of the frame before NU finished off the scoring with a run-scoring groundout by Chris Kontos in the ninth.
Lashmet paced the Wildcats with three hits in four at-bats while driving in two runs. Muraski (0-2) took the loss for Northwestern though only two of the eight runs he allowed were earned. In 4 2/3 innings of work, the senior left-hander struck out seven.
Northwestern and UNLV continue their four-game series with a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. Central time.
