Errors doom Rebels in 10-9 loss at Air Force

Two costly errors by UNLV helped Air Force rally from a 6-2 deficit with five runs in the fifth inning, and the Falcons held off the Rebels 10-9 on Thursday in a Mountain West baseball game at Colorado Springs, Colo.

The Rebels, who dropped their second straight game, had staked starting pitcher Erick Fedde to a 6-2 lead after four innings. But Air Force took advantage of the two errors in its half of the fifth to take a 7-6 lead. Fedde, the ace of the UNLV staff, allowed seven runs, two of them earned, on eight hits in six innings to drop to 7-2.

Air Force extended its lead to 9-6 with two runs in the seventh, and after both teams scored in the eighth, UNLV rallied with two in the ninth and had the tying run on base. But the Falcons held on to improve to 12-25 overall and 3-13 in the Mountain West.

UNLV (25-13, 13-6) got three hits apiece from Justin Jones and T.J. White.

The teams meet at 2 p.m. today in the second game of their three-game series. John Richy (6-2, 2.55 ERA) will start for the Rebels against Griffin Jax (2-6, 5.62).