Lighting failure stalls UNLV rally, suspends game vs. Arizona State

A bank of lights down the first-base line went out Tuesday night at Wilson Stadium, suspending UNLV’s baseball game against Arizona State just as the Rebels were threatening to rally.

The game will be picked up at 10 a.m. today with the fifth-ranked Sun Devils leading 5-2, but UNLV will have the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the third inning. Admission is free.

“It’s a game that needs to be played,” UNLV interim coach Stan Stolte said. “It’s a scheduled game. We don’t want to waste three innings.”

Stolte, filling in for Tim Chambers as he continues to recover from back surgery, said the same bank of lights went out a week before the season began.

“This time, there seems to be a bigger problem,” Stolte said. “It was fixable the last time.”

UNLV’s staff was forced to juggle today’s class schedules, which could affect how the bullpen will be used as well as position players.

Stolte said right-hander Cody Roper is expected to take the mound in the fourth inning, which would be the fourth UNLV pitcher of the game.

Right-hander Ben Wright didn’t allow any runs in the third after the first two pitchers combined to give up five runs on six hits.

UNLV scored single runs in the first and second innings, then put together its biggest threat in the third off Arizona State right-handed starter Hever Bueno. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out and A.J. VanMeetren scheduled to hit. He singled and scored in his first at-bat.

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.