Las Vegas, NV (March 5, 2004)- Manhattan posted an 8-7 win over UNLV tonight in the first game of a three game series.
Steve Bronder picked up the win, pitching 5.0 innings of relief, allowing two earned runs while stiking out four.
UNLV started off the scoring in the bottom of the first when Ryan Ruiz singled to center field scoring Ryan Kowalski.
In the fourth, a
Gary Diaz single drove home
Matt Cucurullo to knot the game at one before
Chris Gaskin scored on a
Nick Derba sacrifice fly to give the Jaspers the lead.
Manhattan extended its lead in the sixth, plating four runs. Cucurullo and Gaskin connected on back-to-back RBI singles before Derba singled home two more for a 6-1 lead going into the bottom of the fifth
In the bottom of the frame, UNLV answered with four runs of its own to pull within one at 5-6.
In the top of the seventh, UNLV third baseman Brent Johnson threw a ball over the head of first baseman Eddie Gill that allowed Diaz and
Josh Greco to score, and the Jaspers to pull ahead 8-5.
The Rebels plated single runs in the seventh and eighth, but Bronder retired the side in order in the ninth to pick up the win.
Cucurullo and Diaz joined Derba with multi-hit nights.
The two teams will meet again on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. Eastern at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
