LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV baseball team (6-8 overall, 2-2 Mountain West) fought back from a pair of five-run deficits Friday evening to defeat the Air Force Falcons (6-7, 0-4) Friday night at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. The Rebels fell behind by five before their first at-bat and chipped away until it finally knotted the affair at 9-all in the bottom of the ninth. The Scarlet & Gray, ultimately, won the affair in the 11th with a sacrifice fly from Max Smith.

In fact, the last two Rebel home games have ended in walk-off fashion by the team's Tucson (Arizona) tandem, Smith and Nick Ames. The former had his flair for the dramatic Friday while the latter crushed a three-run home run to cap an 8-7, comeback victory over UC Riverside on March 1.

Smith stepped up with the bases loaded and hit the first pitch he saw from Air Force's Tyler Mortenson (1-2) to right field. Keyon Allen scored on the fly out after he got the inning started with a single up the middle. Allen wound up at third one batter later when Mortenson threw wildly to second base following a bunt put in play by Ernie De La Trinidad. Justin Jones, who went 4-for-5 in the affair, joined Allen and De La Trinidad when the Falcons chose to take the bat out of his hands in lieu of an intentional walk. Smith followed with the winner.

The trio of Allen, De La Trinidad and Jones had a hand in the Rebels forcing extras in the ninth, as well. Allen entered the contest as a pinch runner for Corey Pool, who got things going with a one-out, pinch-hit single off Mortenson. De La Trinidad helped Allen move into scoring position when he was plunked by a pitch for the eighth time this season. Jones then delivered an RBI single through the right side that brought Allen home to knot the score at 9-all.

UNLV had an opportunity to finish it off in the ninth after Jones' hit and a walk to Smith; however, Mortenson struck out two straight to end the threat.

"It was a tough game for either team to lose," said head coach Stan Stolte. "Both teams battled for 11 innings. Our bullpen stepped up and then we grinded out some great at-bats with the game on the line. We have to clean up some base running miscues that made it a lot tougher on us."

The game began with Air Force putting up a five-run first inning with some assistance from a bases-loaded walk, a two-run single and a couple errors that allowed two more to score. The Falcons scored twice more in both the third and seventh.

Air Force's Drew Wiss, who went 2-for-5 at the plate, was credited with four RBI off the two-run, first-inning single and a two-run triple two innings later. Wiss' teammate Nic Ready paced the team with three hits and was one of three to score twice in the game.

In all, UNLV scored in eight of the game's 11 innings with one run coming in six of those and two in the other two. Seven different Rebels were responsible for the team's scoring. Jones led the squad with three RBI while Nick Rodriguez had two of his own. Nick Ames, De La Trinidad, Cooper Esmay, Smith and Payton Squier had one RBI apiece.

After UNLV starter Alan Strong was stuck for seven runs â€" only three of which were earned â€" in his 3.0 innings of work, the bullpen combined to allow two runs in 8.0 frames of relief. Overall, the five relievers struck out five against six hits and two walks.

Tevita Gerber (1-3) was credited with the win after he held the Falcons scoreless in the 11th.

Mortenson was tagged with the loss after he surrendered two runs (one earned) in 2.1 innings of relief. He fanned three, but gave up four hits and two walks.

The Rebels and Falcons return to Earl E. Wilson Stadium for game two of the three-game series Saturday afternoon at 2:05 pm. The finale of the set is slated for Sunday at 1:05 pm.

Tickets can be purchased online and in-advance for $5 at UNLVTickets.com. Tickets purchased at the gate are $8 for adults, $6 for senior/faculty/staff, while kids 12 and under as well as UNLV students are free of charge.

NOTES: UNLV has scored 10 or more runs three times this season and notched double digits in hits 10 times â€" Friday's 18 are the second most scattered this season … UNLV is 3-0 when it scores 10 or more runs this season and 6-4 when it outhits its opponent … Friday's win is the second that UNLV has registered when trailing after eight innings, and both have come in succession â€" vs. UC Riverside (March 1) … Stott has hit safely in 13 of UNLV's 14 games this season and has a team-high nine multiple-hit games with the addition of Saturday's three-hit outing … Ames has hit safely in 12 of 13 games he has played in this year, and six of those have resulted in multiple-hit contests … Three Rebels â€" Stott, Isbel and Squier â€" have all reached base safely in all 14 contests.