Box Score March 23, 2018 Box Score
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The No. 19 UNLV baseball team claimed game one of their three-game, Mountain West series, 4-3, against the San Diego State Aztecs Friday night at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. The Rebels broke open the 3-all stalemate with an opposite-field, RBI double in the eighth inning from Grant Robbins for the one-run victory.
With the win, the Scarlet & Gray improved to 20-3 on the year and 6-1 in the MW. SDSU, on the other hand, moved to 14-7 overall and 4-2 in conference play.
The Rebels got things started early in the opening frame with a solo home run and an RBI single from Kyle Isbel and Max Smith, respectively.
After SDSU knotted the affair at 2-all with runs in the third and fourth, Smith put UNLV back ahead by one with a lead-off double in the home half of the fourth. A pair of wild pitches allowed Smith to move up 90 feet at a time and eventually score.
With the score tied at 3-all in the eighth, Nick Ames and Smith connected on back-to-back singles to put runners on for Robbins' heroics.
UNLV starter Alan Strong threw pitched one batter into the seventh inning before giving way to Blaze Bohall who finished out the frame in relief. Strong struck out seven against three runs off of eight hits and one walk. Bohall wound up throwing one inning, while Donavon McCrystal, Austin Anderson and Bryan Menendez combined to stymy the Aztecs in the eighth and ninth. Anderson (2-0) picked up the win, while Menendez closed it out for his eighth save of the season.
THE TURNING POINT: In the eighth, SDSU registered a pair of singles off of McCrystal to put two on with one out. Anderson was summoned from the bullpen and quickly got a pop up and a fly out to end any threat. In turn, UNLV was able capitalize on its opportunity with runners on in the bottom half of the inning with singles from Ames and Smith and the go-ahead, RBI double from Robbins.
REBEL OF THE GAME: Smith went 4-for-4 at the plate with three singles and one double as well as one RBI and one run scored. He provided an RBI single in the first inning, while the run came in the fourth.
QUOTABLE: "What a great college baseball game," noted head coach Stan Stolte. "The pitchers threw strikes and both teams played errorless baseball; it came down to the final out. (Alan) Strong and the bullpen were outstanding tonight holding that team to three runs. Offensively, (Max) Smith and (Grant) Robbins came up huge for us. I don't anticipate the next two games being any different. That's a good operation and we will have to play well again."
STAT OF THE GAME: Seven different Rebels -- 3-8 batters in the lineup -- had a hit in the game with four of those coming from Smith.
REBEL NOTES:
- Menendez's save gives him 13 for his career and, subsequently, moves him into a four-way tie for fifth place in the program's record book. He sits tied with Ben Wright (2015-16), Andy McCulloch (1997-00) and Richie Davis (1978-81). The program record is 16.
- The Rebels' 20-3 record is the best start through 23 games in program history.
- The Rebels are 6-1 in Mountain West games this season and 14-2 in nonconference contests.
- The Rebels' 6-1 start in MW play is tied for the best through seven games in program history -- tied with 2004 and 2014.
- The Rebels' 15-1 record at home is tied for the best through 16 games in program history -- tied with 2014.
- The Rebels are 5-0 when scoring 3-5 runs and 9-2 when allowing 3-5 runs this season.
- The Rebels are a perfect 2-0 when scoring exactly four runs in a game and 6-0 when holding an opponent to three runs.
- The Rebels are a perfect 17-0 when leading after eight innings.
- The Rebels are a perfect 15-0 when scoring first in a game and 9-0 when scoring in the first inning.
- The Rebels are now 1-0 when hits are tied in a game; UNLV sits 15- when it outhits an opponent and 4-2 when it is outhit.
- The Rebels have notched 10 or more hits in 18 games this season and own a 16-2 mark in those outings.
- Max Smith extended his reached-base streak to 20 games with help from four hits.
- Robbins has reached base safely in 17 straight games, only the second Rebel to achieve the feat this season.
- Nick Rodriguez has reached base safely in 14 straight games, while Isbel and Bryson Stott are at 11 consecutive.
- Smith notched his 12th multiple-hit game of the season.
UP NEXT: UNLV and SDSU return to Earl E. Wilson Stadium Saturday for game two of the MW series. First pitch is slated for 2:05 pm.
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 14 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.
