Rebels lose another close MWC game, slip to 7-24

Zack Hall

Monday, March 27, 2000 | 10:49 a.m.

If the UNLV baseball team could only win one-run games, it might not be winless in Mountain West Conference play.

The Rebels dropped their seventh one-run contest out of eight this season by losing to MWC rival New Mexico 3-2 at Wilson Stadium Sunday.

The Lobos took three straight over the strugglin' Rebels to complete the third consecutive sweep of UNLV (7-24, 0-9 MWC) in league play.

"We had opportunities early in the game to move the baseball with a runner at third and less than two outs," Rebel coach Rod Soesbe said. "If we get a run there, those become big runs."

UNLV had several chances in the game but was unable to convert them into runs. In the top of the ninth, the Rebels paid for it.

Lobos rightfielder Donny Sevieri led off the inning with a line-drive single to left off pitcher Andy McColluch. After a successful sacrifice and a wild pitch that sailed over the head of freshman catcher James Nepa, Sevieri was on third with one out. Shortstop Dusty Young, who went 2-for-4, fought off a 2-2 inside fastball and looped it over UNLV shortstop Zach Strong's head for the Lobos' (18-12, 7-1 MWC) winning run.

"This one was tough," Nepa said. "We're trying to put everything we have into it. We're trying to make some adjustments here and there and stuff just isn't panning out for us."

There were signs of the Rebels breaking out of their slump.

In the fourth inning, Nepa, a freshman making only his fourth start of the season, drove an opposite-field shot down the right-field line, scoring Tony DeMarco and Adam Manley to tie the game at 2-2.

The Rebels tallied 12 hits but were held to two doubles, their only extra-base hits of the afternoon.

"We don't have much power," Soesbe said. "We're trying to do it on pitching and defense. We're hitting around .300 but with only 20 home runs which isn't good."

UNLV sophomore starter Ryan Olson threw five solid innings, allowing four hits and only one earned run while striking out six in his first appearance since Feb. 4 against Southern Utah.