UNLV 11, Nevada 7
Saturday, April 20, 2024
Las Vegas, Nev. - Earl E. Wilson Stadium

WP: Sam Simon (5-3)
LP: Peyton Fosher (2-4)
SV: Matthew Maloney (2)

LAS VEGAS - Nevada fell behind, 7-1, after two innings Saturday night in Las Vegas, and despite fighting back to within a run, fell 11-7 at UNLV.

It sets up the rubber game Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for 12:05 p.m.

Seven Nevada starters had at least one hit, led by Nolan Wilson's 2-for-5, three-RBI night. Wilson opened the scoring with a solo shot in the top of the first, then added a two-run double in the fourth to cut UNLV's lead to 7-6. But those would be the only runs surrendered by reliever Sam Simon in his three innings of work, as he struck out Taylor Holder and got Micahel Ball to line out to strand Wilson at second.

Wilson's single would be the only hit Simon allowed over three innings, as he struck out three to pick up the win in relief.

Nevada starter Peyton Fosher lasted just two innings while falling to 2-4 on the year. Fosher's night got off to a rough start as he hit Rebel leadoff batter Rylan Charles then walked JP Hefft, setting up Austin Kryszczuk's two-run triple. UNLV added its third run of the frame as Parker Schmidt's sacrifice fly plated Kryszczuk.

Kryszczuk did the damage again in the second, as his two-run double scored Charles and Paul Myro IV and was the big hit of the Rebels' four-run frame which made it 7-1.

Nevada immediately clawed back into the contest, scoring thrice in the top of the third. Singles from JR Freethy and Holder put runners at the corners with one out, and Freethy came across as Ball legged out a fielder's choice. Bryce Matthews singled to put runners back on the corners, and back-to-back RBI base hits from Jackson Waller and Mason Hirata made it 7-4.

Casey Burfield went the final six innings for Nevada, striking out six. But UNLV managed runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to up its lead to 9-6, and, after Nevada got a run back in the seventh, Charles gave the Rebels the cushion they needed with a two-run shot in the eighth.

Charles was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored, while Kryszczuk drove in four runs and Schmidt had a pair of hits and two RBIs for UNLV.