Cats run wild against Rebels to open series

February 26, 2009 by Sage Sammons 

Seven run second inning seals the win for Arizona

The Hustlin’ Rebels were not playing golf against the Arizona Wildcats on Tuesday night, but could have used a mulligan. The Wildcats scored seven runs in the second inning on their way to a 14-7 win over the Rebels at Wilson Stadium on Tuesday night. 

The Rebels started the game allowing one hit, that turned into a run after a fielding error.  The game was still in reach but when Arizona got three consecutive doubles, a triple, a wild pitch and a single, to score was 5-0 an out was registered. It was the end of UNLV starting pitcher Glen DeWeese’s night.   

Arizona went on to put up two more runs in the second and were up by eight before the Rebels got one across  the plate in the bottom of the third. J.J. Sferra hit a one-out sacrifice grounder to the shortstop to send Trent Fuller home.  

By the fourth, the Rebels got their act together.  They allowed two runs in the top of the inning, but scored three at the bottom.  The Rebels went on to score three in the bottom of the fifth to cut into the Arizona lead, 12-7.  That would be the closest the Rebels would get, and were held scoreless past the fifth inning.  UNLV finished the night with seven runs, 11 hits, two errors and six men left on base. 

“[We needed] to give ourselves a chance to win earlier in the game,” UNLV head coach Buddy Gouldsmith said. “We got to find a way to pitch down in the zone, it is a commitment that we have made and we talk about. It is what we are trying to do, and obviously we didn’t execute that tonight.” 

Junior catcher Drew Beuerlein led the Rebels with two hits and three RBIs.  His bases clearing double into center field, brought in three runs and gave the Rebels a chance to claw back into the game.  

“I was just looking for a pitch to drive and got the pitch I was looking for. [I just] put a big swing on it,” Beuerlein said.   

Arizona’s Matt Chaffee earned the win, after only facing two batters.  Another big player for the Wildcats was closer Jason Stoffel.  He faced seven batters in two innings, struck out four and allowed one hit.  There were more than just a few scouts watching him on Tuesday.

“He obvisouly has a great arm,” Gouldsmith quoted on Stoffel. “It was good for our guys to get a look at him. I have watched Jason since he was 16 years old, he is a really talented kid.”

The Rebels’ next home game will be part of a two game doubleheader against St. Peters [N.J.] College. First pitch is scheduled at 3 p.m. on Feb. 27 at Wilson Stadium.