BB: UNLV Remains Undefeated in Conoco MWC Baseball Championship
May 26, 2010SAN DIEGO, Calif. • 2010 Conoco MWC Baseball Championship CentralFreshman R.J. Arnold's two-run single and a bases-loaded balk highlighted a four-run third inning as No. 5-seeded UNLV knocked off No. 2 seed New Mexico 6-3 on Wednesday in the 2010 Conoco Mountain West Conference Baseball Championship at San Diego State's Tony Gwynn Stadium.
The Rebels (29-27) have won back-to-back games after losing five straight heading into tournament play, and will face either No. 1 seed TCU or No. 6-seeded Utah in a winner's bracket game at 7 p.m. PT on Thursday. New Mexico will play in one of two elimination games on Thursday at either 11 a.m. PT or 3 p.m. PT.
Coming off a 9-1 win over No. 4 seed BYU on Tuesday, UNLV erased a 1-0 deficit in the second when Arnold reached on an error and scored on Nolan Clark's ground-out.
New Mexico (35-19), the tournament's No. 2 seed for the second straight year, regained the advantage in the bottom half of the second when center fielder Max Willett, aboard on a leadoff single, stole second and scored on a one-out double by shortstop Daniel Gonzalez.
Shortstop Richie Jimenez got things rolling for the Rebels in the third, scoring on a single to left by second baseman Hunter Beatty after opening the frame with a base hit to center. Jimenez, who went 2-for-3 with a run scored, was one of three UNLV players to collect two hits. Beatty and right fielder Cash Thomas both finished 2-for-4 and scored a run for the Rebels, who are 2-0 in the tournament for the first time since capturing the title in 2004.
UNLV starting pitcher Matt Hutchinson (6-4) scattered eight hits over 8 1/3 innings to pick up the win.
Catcher Rafael Neda and designated hitter Ryan Honeycutt each had a pair of hits for the Lobos, who dropped their opening game of the tournament for the second straight year.