PROVO -- Joe Jacobitz scored off a 10th-inning double and had a two-run homer Thursday evening to lead UNLV to an 8-5 victory over BYU in 10 innings.
The Rebels, now 22-29 overall and 13-15 in the Mountain West Conference, put a damper on BYU's early hopes to clinch the league title by taking a 4-1 lead. Jacobitz' homer in the fifth gave them that lead and helped chase freshman Jeff Stearman from the mound in front of the third-largest crowd at Larry H. Miller field, 1,282.
UNLV lefty Ryan Olson kept the Cougars off balance, but had to leave the game himself after 129 pitches and the score tied four-all in the ninth. Olson's first hit surrendered in the evening was a first inning single to Shane Belliston, who extended his hitting streak to 24 games.
The Rebels' David Trujillo extended his league-leading hitting streak to 26 games off a fourth-inning double which led to his team's initial run. UNLV knocked three consecutive doubles in the fourth to take a 2-1 lead.
BYU got its initial run in the second when Seth King led off with a single and scored off Tyler Perry's single. Matt Carson pounded his league leading 18th homer with a lead-off solo in the sixth to make the score 4 2.
The Cougars tied the game in the eighth when Carson beat out an infield single and was doubled in by Kainoa Obrey's double. Obrey then scored the game-tying run off Michael Wirrick's pop fly which dropped in shallow centerfield for a double.
BYU reliever Scott Koffman dueled Olson for five innings, giving up only two hits. However, the Cougars fell victim to three double plays, in the second, third, and fifth.
After one out in the 10th, John Cruz hit Koffman's first pitch over the left field wall to give UNLV a 5-4 advantage. The Rebels then scored three unearned runs in the extra inning to take an 8-4 lead.
Obrey hit a solo homer in the 10th, but BYU couldn't generate any other offense.
"The balls we hit hard early in the game were right at guys," said BYU Coach Vance Law. "Olson moves the ball around and his changeup keeps guys off balance. I just wish we would have taken better care of the ball in the field."
The Cougars are now 32-19 overall and 19-8 in the league, looking for a victory in the next two games with UNLV. Cougar ace Nate Fernley, 13-2, will pitch for BYU on Friday in a game starting at 7 p.m., followed by a fireworks show.
The Automated ScoreBook
UNLV at Brigham Young Univ.
May 10, 2001 at Provo, Utah (Larry H.Miller Field)
UNLV 8 (22-29,13-15 MWC)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
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SHITANISHI, Garett 2b.... 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0
JACOBITZ, Joe lf......... 5 2 2 2 0 1 1 0 0
TRUJILLO, David 1b....... 5 2 2 0 0 1 10 0 0
KITSCH, Trent dh......... 5 1 1 1 0 2 0 0 0
JOHNSON, Brent 3b........ 3 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 0
FLETCHER, George rf...... 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
HERTEL, Brad pr/rf...... 4 0 1 2 0 2 2 0 0
RUIZ, Ryan ss............ 3 0 0 0 1 0 2 4 0
BEASLEY, Brad c.......... 4 0 0 0 0 0 6 1 3
CRUZ, John cf............ 4 2 2 1 0 0 7 0 0
OLSON, Ryan p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
MARUFFI, Joe p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals................... 38 8 11 7 3 8 30 8 4
Brigham Young Univ. 5 (32-19,19-8 MWC)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
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JACKSON, Doug lf......... 5 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 2
BELLISTON, Shane cf...... 5 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
CARSON, Matt rf.......... 5 2 2 1 0 2 1 0 0
OBREY, Kainoa 3b......... 4 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 0
WIRRICK, Michael dh...... 5 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 2
KING, Seth ss............ 4 1 1 0 0 1 1 4 1
HAGUEWOOD, Ty 1b......... 4 0 1 0 0 1 10 1 0
BIRKELAND, Lars c........ 3 0 1 0 1 0 6 2 1
COUGHLAN, Cameron pr.... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DAVIES, Michael c....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0
PERRY, Tyler 2b.......... 4 0 2 1 0 0 3 3 0
STEARMAN, Jeff p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0
KOFFMAN, Scott p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
RAY, James p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SU'A, Justin p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals................... 39 5 11 5 2 7 30 13 6
Score by Innings R H E
---------------------------------------------
UNLV................ 000 220 000 4 - 8 11 1
Brigham Young Univ.. 010 001 020 1 - 5 11 3
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E - SHITANISHI; BELLISTON; KING; PERRY. DP - Rebels 3; Cougars 1. LOB -
Rebels 4; Cougars 6. 2B - JACOBITZ; TRUJILLO; KITSCH; JOHNSON 2; HERTEL;
OBREY; WIRRICK. HR - JACOBITZ(2); CRUZ(1); CARSON(18); OBREY(12). SH -
SHITANISHI. SB - CARSON. CS - JOHNSON 2.
UNLV IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
OLSON, Ryan......... 8.1 10 4 4 2 5 33 35
MARUFFI, Joe........ 1.2 1 1 1 0 2 6 6
Brigham Young Univ. IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
STEARMAN, Jeff...... 4.1 8 4 4 1 2 19 21
KOFFMAN, Scott...... 5.0 2 3 1 1 5 17 18
RAY, James.......... 0.1 0 1 0 1 1 1 2
SU'A, Justin........ 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1
Win - MARUFFI (1-1). Loss - KOFFMAN (2-1). Save - None.
WP - OLSON 2; KOFFMAN.
Umpires - Home:Jeff Jenkins 1st:John Cortez 3rd:Blake Jensen
Start: 6:01 Time: 2:48 Attendance: 1,282
Game notes:
Game one of three
77 Degrees at 5:15 p.m.
Shane Belliston extends his hitting streak to 24 games
David Trujillo extends his hitting streak to 26 games