The Arizona baseball team got out of a fifth-inning jam and went on to beat UNLV 11-2 last night in Las Vegas.
The Wildcats (17-15-1) scored nine runs in the sixth and seventh innings and got another good outing from junior pitcher Koley Kolberg to beat the Rebels.
Kolberg (5-2) earned the win, throwing six innings and allowing just one run.
The Wildcats' offense benefited from a rough night for the Rebels' pitching staff. UNLV walked 12 batters, including five in the sixth inning, and gave up only seven hits to Arizona.
Kolberg and UNLV starting pitcher Matt Wagner battled through five innings of a 1-1 tie until the sixth.
The turning point of the game came in the Rebels' half of the fifth inning with the score knotted at one. Kolberg loaded the bases with no outs, but proceeded to get UNLV center fielder Brent Johnson to line out to freshman shortstop Jason Donald, who doubled up the runner on second base and didn't allow a run to score.
Kolberg then struck out the next Rebel hitter to end the inning with no damage done.
Arizona responded by sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring six runs in the following inning. The outburst was highlighted by a two-run single by sophomore first baseman Jordan Brown.
The Wildcats scored three more runs in the seventh without recording a hit in the inning, and added one more in the ninth.
Arizona's first run came in the second inning on junior second baseman John Hardy's first RBI, a single to right field.
Junior outfielder Jeff Van Houten, junior catcher Richard Mercado, Brown and Hardy each had two RBIs for the Wildcats, and Trevor Crowe led the team in hits, going 3-for-3.
The Wildcats and Rebels play again today at 1 p.m. to close out the series. Junior Kevin Guyette is scheduled to pitch for Arizona.