Carlos Puma
6
UNLV LV 16-23
8
Winner UC Riverside UCR 12-26
UNLV LV
16-23
6
Final
8
UC Riverside UCR
12-26
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 R H E
UNLV LV 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 2 1 0 6 12 2
UC Riverside UCR 2 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 8 14 3

W: Leach, Keaton (3-4) L: THOMAS, Matt (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Fernandez's Walk-Off Blast In 11th Gives Baseball 8-6 Win Over UNLV

Riverside—The UC Riverside Baseball Team nearly had defeat snatched from the jaws of victory Tuesday afternoon, but Vince Fernandez's two-run, walk-off blast in the bottom of the 11th sent the Highlanders home happy with an 8-6 win over visiting UNLV.

UC Riverside (12-26) appeared to have the game in hand, passing a 5-3, ninth-inning lead to closer Ryan Lillie. but the freshman struggled giving up three singles and a walk before balking home the tying run. He retired the next three batters to send the Highlanders into extra innings for the sixth time this season.

The Rebels (16-23) took advantage of a UC Riverside error in the top of the 10th to take their first lead of the game, but Cody Sporrer's pinch-hit single in the bottom of the frame scoreda Cody Sheehan to knot the game up again at six.

Keaton Leach (3-4) retired all three batters he faced in the top of the 11th, and the Highlanders sent the top of the order to plate in their half of the inning. Austin Colvin hit a lead-off single to right center, but Joe Chavez was unable to advance him lifting a fly ball to right for the first out. That brought Fernandez to the plate, and after working Matt Thomas (0-1) for a 2-1 count, he turned on a fastball and sent it sailing towards dead center.

UNLV center fielder Joey Swanner turned and made a bee line for the wall, but all he could do was watch with the rest of those in attendance as the ball sailed over the fence for Fernandez's sixth homer of the season.  The Highlanders poured onto the field, mobbing Fernandez at the plate as the UC Riverside fight song echoed across the Plex.

The game had plenty of twists and turns prior to the ninth as the Highlanders pulled off three double steals on the day. They also had two runners thrown out at the plate as UNLV kept within striking distance.

The Rebels ended up using 10 pitchers on their staff day, while UC Riverside utilized seven. Fernandez drove in three runs on the day, as did UNLV's Joey Armstrong.

The Highlanders head back out on the road this weekend for a three-game Big West Conference series at CSUN.