Bayardi’s blasts power Rebels past No. 9 TCU

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UNLV spent the early part of the baseball season building a strong record against largely weak teams, its resolve rarely tested.

The Rebels knew if they were going to beat No. 9 Texas Christian, they would have to overcome adversity — and they were handed plenty Friday night.

But thanks to Brandon Bayardi, UNLV showed it could overcome difficult circumstances. He crushed a 2-2 pitch to left field for a leadoff walk-off home run in the ninth inning that gave the Rebels a 5-4 victory before an announced crowd of 1,205 at Wilson Stadium.

UNLV (17-4, 1-0 Mountain West Conference) will try to clinch the series when the teams meet at 6:05 p.m. today.

“We’ve got to go out and win a series, but we beat (Arizona) and now TCU,” Bayardi said. “I think we can beat anyone.”

TCU might be only 10-7, and now 0-1 in the MWC, but it was a meaningful win for the Rebels, who had beaten up on the likes of Maine and Valparaiso. The Horned Frogs not only brought the cache of a high ranking, but they competed in last season’s College World Series.

And they knew how to beat UNLV, having won the previous 11 meetings dating to 2008.

“We’ve got a bunch of older guys that aren’t going to be intimidated,” first-year UNLV coach Tim Chambers said.

But it didn’t start well for the Rebels.

TCU’s Brance Rivera led off the game with a home run to left field off UNLV right-hander Tanner Peters, who entered with a 4-0 record and a 0.00 ERA through 29 innings. The Frogs scored another run in the inning on a fielder’s choice.

Peters then buckled down to throw six shutout innings, allowing three hits. Relying on a changeup, a fastball that reached the low 90s and a curveball, Peters gave up seven hits, two earned runs, 11 strikeouts and no walks in 7 2/3 innings.

“The changeup was my pitch,” Peters said. “I was throwing it whenever I wanted to whoever I wanted and wherever I wanted.”

With Peters doing the job on the mound, UNLV’s offense awakened after three perfect innings by TCU right-hander Kyle Winkler (4-1). Hunter Beaty led off the fourth with a double and later scored on a wild pitch, the first earned run allowed by Winkler this season.

Bayardi hammered a two-out homer to left-center field later in the inning to give the Rebels a 3-2 lead.

UNLV took a 4-3 lead into the ninth and was on the verge of victory with two outs when shortstop Richie Jimenez committed his second error of the inning and third of the game, allowing the tying run to score.

“It’s a big mistake, but everybody in the dugout knew that we could win the game,” Bayardi said.

Bayardi made sure of that and, with two strikes, figured he would get challenged by Winkler, who before the game had walked two batters all season.

“He’s around the plate,” Bayardi said.

Winkler threw a fastball inside, and Bayardi launched his eighth homer this season.

Zack Hartman (2-0) held TCU hitless and struck out two in the final 1 1/3 innings to earn the victory.

“Every time you can get a big (victory) like that, it helps in the end,” Chambers said. “That’s our goal, to make it to postseason after the Mountain West.

“It’s a big one. It’s a big one.”

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914.