UNLV men’s golf stands second in home tourney
The UNLV men's golf team got off to a strong start as host of the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters, shooting 1-under-par 287 Friday, one stroke behind leader California.
UNLV and Cal were the only squads to break par among the elite 15-team field, with Texas A&M third at 288 and UCLA fourth at 3-over 291. The tournament features 11 of the nation's top 25 teams, including the 11th-ranked Rebels.
Texas Tech's Logan McCracken fired a 6-under 66 to take the individual lead in a round that included an eagle on the par-5, 577-yard 13th hole. Texas A&M's Tyler Dunlap and Alabama's Bobby Wyatt were tied for second at 68.
Kevin Penner led UNLV with a 70, tied for sixth. Teammate Blake Biddle shot 71 and was tied for 10th. Freshman Kurt Kitayama (72, 19th) and Derek Ernst (74, 29th) rounded out the Rebels' team score.
The tournament continues through the weekend at Southern Highlands Golf Club, with the second round starting at 8 a.m. today and the third round at 8 a.m. Sunday. Admission is free.
■ UNLV TRACK AND FIELD -- At Nampa, Idaho, Amanda Bingson earned All-America status by taking seventh in the weight throw at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Bingson had a throw of 65 feet, 6¼ inches.
It marked Bingson's second All-America effort. The Las Vegas native took fourth in the hammer throw in the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
■ UNLV BASEBALL -- The Rebels got solid pitching efforts from starter Joe Robinson and reliever Buddy Borden to beat Washington State 2-1 at Wilson Stadium.
Robinson scattered six hits in six innings, allowing one run with one walk and three strikeouts, and Borden had eight strikeouts in the final three innings.
Mark Shannon went 3-for-4 with a fourth-inning homer for UNLV (8-6), and Trevor Kirk was 2-for-4 with a fifth-inning RBI single that proved to be the game-winning hit.
■ UNLV SOFTBALL -- At Long Beach, Calif., the Rebels split at the Long Beach State Invitational, getting no-hit in a 5-0 loss to North Carolina and rebounding for a 6-1 victory over Eastern Kentucky.
The win over the Colonels snapped a four-game losing streak. Jaexie Balilea was 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs for the Rebels (10-11), and Paige Emerson was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Starter Jessica O'Connor allowed seven hits and two walks in six innings, with four strikeouts.
North Carolina starter Lori Spingola had 13 strikeouts and one walk in blanking UNLV. Logan Foulks' RBI double in the first inning was the only run the Tar Heels would need. North Carolina added four runs in the second inning.
■ UNLV MEN'S TENNIS -- The Rebels routed Utah State 7-0 at the Fertitta Tennis Complex for their third straight victory.
UNLV (6-8), won all three doubles matches for the first point, then steamrolled to straight-set victories in all six singles matches.
Rene Ruegamer led the Rebels with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Sven Poslusny at No. 1 singles. Alex Bull, Tamas Batyi, Charlie Alvarado, Johannes Markel and Willie Sublette won at Nos. 2 through 6.
■ CSN BASEBALL -- At Twin Falls, Idaho, the College of Southern Nevada split with Southern Idaho, rolling 13-2 in the opener and losing 6-3 in the second game.
Morgan Stotts paced the Coyotes (15-7, 2-4 Scenic West Athletic Conference) in the first game, going 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, four RBIs and two runs. Quinnton Mack was 3-for-5 with a double, three RBIs and a run, and Chad Whiteaker was 2-for 3 with a walk, three RBIs and a run.
Joey Lauria (4-1) pitched the distance for CSN, allowing seven hits, with no walks and three strikeouts in seven innings.
In the second game, a nine-inning contest, the Coyotes trailed 5-0 before finally scoring in the eighth inning on Mack's two-run homer. Mack added a third RBI on a ninth-inning walk.
■ CSN SOFTBALL -- The Coyotes split with Western Nevada at Russell Road Recreation Complex, opening with a 7-6 win before losing, 7-5.
Tuiuli Felise went 2-for-3 with a walk, four RBIs and two runs for the Coyotes (13-17, 8-10 SWAC) in the first game. Brigit Godfrey was 4-for-4 with three RBIs and a run for CSN in the second game.
Ex-Northwestern RB smith tranfers to UNLV
Running back Adonis Smith, a former top football recruit, will transfer to UNLV from Northwestern.
He said Friday he chose the Rebels over several Pac-12 Conference and Western Athletic Conference schools, including UCLA and Utah.
Smith (5 feet 11 inches, 200 pounds) was rated by SuperPrep as the No. 1 back out of Northern California when he signed in 2010 with Northwestern out of San Mateo's Junipero Serra High School.
He will have to sit out next season under NCAA transfer rules, then will have two years of eligibility.
"I definitely see the program on the rise," Smith said of UNLV. "Coach (Bobby) Hauck is doing a good job, and I want to be part of it and help it succeed."
Smith, who last season rushed for 266 yards and three touchdowns, said he also liked that the Rebels emphasize the run. UNLV's young running game averaged 164.1 yards last season.
"That's a plus," Smith said. "It fits my running style."
MARK ANDERSON/REVIEW-JOURNAL
