May 25, 2010

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -

• 2010 Conoco MWC Baseball Championship Central

Sophomore pitcher Tanner Peters struck out nine and UNLV pounded out 13 hits as the No. 5-seeded Rebels beat No. 4-seeded BYU 9-1 Tuesday in the opening game of the 2010 Conoco Mountain West Conference Baseball Championship at San Diego State's Tony Gwynn Stadium.

Peters, a second-team all-Conference pick who led the league with 101 strikeouts during the regular season, scattered six hits over seven innings while walking just one. After issuing a leadoff walk to BYU's Mark Anderson to open the fourth, Peters retired seven straight batters before Jonathan Cluff's one-out double in the sixth.

UNLV, which entered the contest averaging 8.0 runs per game, was paced offensively by senior center fielder Jarred Frierson, who went 4-for-4 with two runs scored. Second baseman Hunter Beaty, left fielder Brandon Bayardi (three RBI) and right fielder Cash Thomas all had two hits for the Rebels (28-27), who blew the game open by scoring three runs on four straight two-out hits in the sixth.

Right fielder Jonathan Cluff went 3-for-4 for the Cougars (25-30), who split their six-game series with the Rebels during the regular season.

UNLV advanced to Wednesday's winners-bracket contest, where it will face either No. 2-seeded New Mexico or top seed TCU.