Box Score March 16, 2018 Box Score
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (UNLVRebels.com) - The No. 21 UNLV baseball team bumped its winning streak to six games with its 11-6 win against the Air Force Falcons at Falcon Field Friday afternoon. The Rebels, who had a season-best 17 hits, scored two runs in each of the first four innings and added three more in the seventh to build an eight-run edge before, ultimately, winning by five.
The victory moves the Scarlet & Gray to 17-2 on the year and 4-0 in the Mountain West, while Air Force sits at 6-11 overall and 1-3 in conference play.
The Rebels' 1-4 batters combined for an 12-for-23 (.522) day at the plate with Dillon Johnson and Kyle Isbel providing four hits apiece, while Bryson Stott and Nick Rodriguez also had multiple-hit outings with two hits each. The quartet also combined for 10 of the team's 11 RBI and scored six of the 11 runs.
Rodriguez and Stott got the Rebel offense started early with a first-inning, two-run home run and a third-inning, RBI triple from the former as well as a second-inning, two-run double in the second from the latter.
Johnson and Isbel were key in the fourth and seventh frames, as the pair combined for back-to-back, run-producing singles in both innings.
Alan Strong (4-0) picked up his fourth win of the season after he limited the Falcons to only three runs (two earned) off of 10 hits with six strikeouts against one walk.
REBEL OF THE GAME: Rodriguez had two hits, both of which went for extra-bases, three RBI and two runs. His offensive production came early in the contest and gave UNLV an insurmountable lead. Defensively, he was 7-for-7 in the field with four assists and three putouts.
QUOTABLE: "This was a great, gutsy performance by Alan (Strong) in tough conditions," said head coach Stan Stolte. "(Donavon) McCrystal was big, too, getting the final four outs after we let Air Force Back into the game. Offensively, we came out with a bunch of big, RBI hits in the first four innings. We threw two guys out at third base and home plate at big moments on relays from the outfield that were well executed and kept us with the momentum. It was a good team win!"
STAT OF THE GAME: UNLV had hits from seven players, while six of those notched at least two hits apiece. Johnson and Isbel had four each.
REBEL NOTES:
- The Rebels' 17-2 record is the best start through 18 games in program history.
- The Rebels are 4-0 in Mountain West games this season and 13-2 in nonconference contests.
- The Rebels last started MW play 4-0 was during the 2014 campaign, which began 5-0.
- The Rebels' 4-0 start is the fourth instance (2003, 2004, 2014, 2018) the team has began with this mark since the MW's inaugural season of 2000.
- The Rebels are 4-1 on the road this season, three of which were nonconference games.
- The Rebels are 13-2 in nonconference games this season: 11-1 at home and 2-1 on the road.
- The Rebels are a perfect 14-0 when leading after the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.
- The Rebels have outhit their opponents in 16 of 19 games this season, and own a 15-1 mark in those outings.
- The Rebels have notched 10 or more hits in 16 of 19 games this season.
- Max Smith extended his reached-base streaks to 16 games with help from two hits. - Robbins has reached base safely in 13 straight games, only the second Rebel to achieve the feat this season.
- Rodriguez pushed his hitting streak to 10 games with help from his two hits.
- Stott and Isbel upped their team-best multiple-hit game totals to 13 apiece, while Rodriguez and Smith bumped theirs to nine and Robbins sits at six.
UP NEXT: UNLV resumes its Mountain West series against Air Force Saturday at 1:00 pm MT (12:00 pm PT), with the finale set for Sunday at 12:00 pm MT (11:00 am PT). The Rebels will stay out on the road to face the Arizona Sun Devils in Phoenix on March 20.
SINGLE-GAME TICKETS: Fans can purchase single-game tickets online and in-advance for only $5; however, they must be purchased through UNLVTickets.com three hours prior to first pitch. Single-game tickets for the 15 remaining home games are priced at $8 for adults, $6 for senior/faculty/staff and $4 for groups of 15 or more. As always, UNLV students (with Rebel Card) and kids 12 and under are always free.
