Baseball team sees losing streak hit 6

Monday, April 7, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

SUN STAFF REPORTS

The UNLV baseball team's season record fell below .500 this weekend as the Rebels lost three games to Hawaii in Honolulu.

On Sunday, UNLV couldn't hold a 5-1 lead as the Rainbows scored twice in the seventh inning and three times in the ninth to win 6-5. That followed Saturday night's game in which Hawaii came from behind with a two-run eighth to down the Rebels 7-6.

The losses extended UNLV's losing streak to six games and dropped them to 18-20 overall and 4-1 in the Western Athletic Conference. Hawaii has won just 13 of 40 games overall and is 5-9 in the WAC.

Shortstop Kevin Eberwein was the Rebels' hitting star Sunday, collecting three doubles.

Sunday's defeat ruined a good effort by UNLV starting pitcher Mike Zipser, who gave up only four hits and three runs in six-plus innings.

The Rebels return home to take on Lewis & Clark State at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday in a nonconference game.

Tennis

The UNLV tennis teams were victorious in their last home matches Sunday. The women defeated New Mexico State 5-3 and the men stopped Fresno State 4-3.

The 16th-ranked Rebel women were led by Marianne Vallin, who broke a personal three-match losing streak by downing NMSU's Simone Bock 6-4, 6-4. The win puts Vallin just two away from matching Jolene Watanabe for the school career singles record of 120.

The win was 16th-ranked UNLV's 14th in 17 matches for the year. The Rebels finished 8-2 at home.

The men beat Fresno State as senior Julius Pohjola rallied to win his third set 7-5 to key a come-from-behind triumph.

The 31st-ranked Rebels got wins from four of five seniors on Senior Day and wound up their home schedule undefeated at 9-0. They're 16-4 overall and 4-0 in the WAC.