Rebels salvage one from Fullerton

Monday, Feb. 17, 2003 | 10:07 a.m.

In five games over the last two seasons, UNLV coach Jim Schlossnagle watched Cal State Fullerton outscore the Rebels 78-8.

That changed with a brisk wind blowing out of Earl E. Wilson Stadium on Sunday afternoon, when UNLV never trailed in an 8-6 victory that halted the Rebels' 12-game losing streak to the third-ranked Titans.

Schlossnagle called it the most meaningful win in his two-year UNLV stint.

"Confidence comes from doing it, not talking about it," Schlossnagle said. "Hopefully, this will be a springboard. This club has great character."

Schlossnagle executed some ninth-inning juggling to finally defeat Fullerton (8-1).

Senior catcher Robert VanKirk crunched a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Rebels (6-3) an 8-5 cushion, then Schlossnagle turned to senior right-hander Ryan Braun to relieve pitcher James Thompson to start the ninth.

Fullerton designated hitter Sergio Pedroza, a lefty, greeted Braun by nailing a 2-1 pitch over the right-field wall to get the Titans within two runs.

Braun then threw a 1-2 slider by shortstop Justin Smyres, but third baseman Ronnie Prettyman followed by smacking Braun's first delivery off the glove of UNLV third baseman Patrick Dobson.

Lefties Shane Costa and Richie Burgos were the next two hitters, so Schlossnagle replaced left fielder Andrew D'Angelo with Braun and called lefty Robbie Van to the mound. Schlossnagle told Braun that Van would only throw to Costa and Burgos.

"I knew the situation," Braun said.

Van started Friday night and didn't last two innings in a 23-3 defeat.

With the shadows growing long Sunday, Costa rocketed Van's fifth pitch to the wall in center, but Prettyman didn't score. Van did not give Burgos anything to hit, walking him on four pitches to load the bases.

Schlossnagle shifted Braun back to the mound and put junior Johnny Uriegas in left, and Braun coaxed Titans center fielder Kyle Boyer into popping out to shallow right field before whiffing left fielder Danny Dorn, a lefty, to end the game.

"That was a curve ball," said Braun, whose parents, Ted and Barbara, trekked from North Carolina for the weekend series. "It was a domino effect in those first two games against them. Everything kind of unraveled, so we had something to prove."