Monday, March 17, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
Thanks to a superb pitching performance from Las Vegan Mike Zipser and an 11-run second inning, the UNLV baseball team pounded fourth-ranked Rice 15-8 in the deciding contest of a three-game series at Wilson Stadium.
Prior to Sunday's game, the Rebels (3-3 Western Athletic Conference, 15-11 overall) shut out the powerful Owls (7-2, 18-6) 1-0 in 11 innings Friday and were beaten 20-11 Saturday.
Zipser, a sophomore from Cimarron-Memorial High, scattered 10 hits, giving up just three runs while striking out five over seven innings to improve his record to 4-2.
Although he was happy with the win, Zipser felt things could have been better.
"Whenever you can beat a team like Rice you have to feel good," the soft-spoken Zipser said. "But I think I can give the team much more. The home runs really upset me."
The only downside to Zipser's day was giving up the long ball. The Owls clubbed three home runs, including one by Lance Berkman who hit his 20th in 24 games.
Berkman's blast over the left-center field fence gave Rice a 1-0 first-inning lead. After failing to score in the home half of the first, the Rebels exploded in the second, scoring 11 runs on 10 hits.
"We have good hitters on our club," UNLV coach Rod Soesbe said. "We've just had a tough time stringing our hits together. We finally did it today and beat a tough team."
The Rebels sent nine players to the plate in the second with Kevin Eberwein, Toby Hall and Curt Anthony all hitting home runs in the biggest run-producing inning UNLV has had this season.
Hall broke out of a season-long funk, going 4-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs scored.
Hall said he hasn't changed any of his habits at the plate.
"I'm just feeling very comfortable for the first time," the junior-college transfer from Placerville, Calif., said. "Sometimes your problems are all in your head. You just have to get it set in your mind that you're going to hit. That's where I am at."
Jesse Pryor, a freshman outfielder from McQueen High in Reno, also sparked the Rebels offensively, going 2-for-3 with two walks and a home run.
The Rebels host UNR at 3:05 p.m. Tuesday at Wilson Stadium before returning to conference play Friday at Utah.
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