Good things come in threes for Rebels baseball team

Spencer Patterson

Monday, April 26, 1999 | 10:14 a.m.

Good things came in threes for UNLV's suddenly red-hot baseball team on Sunday.

The Rebels used three three-run innings to blast their way past visiting Texas Christian, 12-6, at Wilson Stadium.

The win gave the hosts a three-game sweep over the Horned Frogs, giving UNLV a strong hold on third place in the Western Athletic Conference standings.

And to top it all off, the Rebels turned a wild triple play in the fifth inning to erase the visitors' best threat of the day.

"Three-game sweeps against good ballclubs are tough to come by," UNLV coach Rod Soesbe said. "The kids played well for a three-game set. We needed that sweep."

Fresh off 9-6 and 6-2 wins over second-place TCU on Friday and Saturday, the Rebels (24-25, 13-8 WAC) didn't waste any time taking control of the series' final game.

UNLV put three runs on the board in the bottom of the first and never looked back, adding to the lead in four of the next five innings.

The Horned Frogs (26-20, 17-6), meanwhile, struggled to figure out Rebel starter Ryan Olson (3-2). The freshman left-hander shut the visitors out for the first four innings, allowing UNLV to build its lead.

"When he concentrates, he can pitch a little bit," Soesbe said. "We know we control it on the bump, and our pitchers got it done all week."

When Olson did run into trouble in the fifth, he and his teammates turned the play of the day -- and the season's first triple play -- to keep the damage to a minimum.

With one run already in, Horned Frogs at the corners and nobody out, TCU's Jeff Dover lined a shot to center. Rebel center fielder Clay Belding charged the ball and made the catch for out No. 1, and that's when things got interesting.

Brad Rogers tagged up and tried to score from third, but Belding's throw to catcher Harold Betts was right on the money. Betts blocked the plate perfectly, absorbed a blow from Rogers and held onto the ball for out No. 2.

The play seemingly over, Betts tossed the ball back to Olson. But noticing that Levi Groomer had wandered off first, the Rebel pitcher threw quickly to first baseman Tony DeMarco, who applied the tag to complete the ultra-rare 8-1-2-3 triple play.

Making the play even more notable was the fact that Belding was playing in place of Ryan Ludwick, the Rebels' every day center fielder and the team's leading hitter.

Soesbe said Ludwick arrived 15-20 minutes late for pre-game warmups, prompting the coach to keep him out of the UNLV starting lineup for the first time in 49 games this season.

"He's one of our best players, and the guys wanted him out there," Soesbe said. "But the rules have to apply to everyone."

Ludwick eventually did enter the game with two outs in the TCU ninth when Rebel right fielder Nate Kaup injured his wrist while diving for a ball. Soesbe said the injury did not appear serious.

With nine WAC games remaining before the conference tournament, UNLV will take a break from league action this week. The Rebels will travel north for a two-game series against in-state rival Nevada-Reno on Tuesday and Wednesday before returning home for a three-game set against San Diego State beginning Friday.