Box Score

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The No. 19 UNLV baseball team (20-5, 6-3 MW) suffered a 22-7 loss to the No. 25 San Diego State Aztecs (16-7, 6-2 MW) Sunday in the third game of their Mountain West series at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. The Rebels led 3-2 through two innings of play, but a five-run third and a seven-run fourth flipped the game in the Aztecs' favor.

By virtue of Saturday and Sunday's decisions, UNLV has lost two straight games for the first time this season, and also dropped its first weekend series of the year after claiming four straight: Columbia (4-0), Fresno State (3-0), Iowa (3-0) and Air Force (2-1).

The Aztecs scored twice in the top of the first inning only to see the Rebels counter with three runs in the bottom of the frame off a Kyle Isbel ground out and a two-run home run from Nick Ames, who also blasted a solo homer in the seventh to cap a four RBI, two-run day.

Things turned for the worse in the third when SDSU's Jordan Verdon hit a grand slam and Dean Nevarez hit a solo homer two pitches later. UNLV answered in its half of the third with a run off a wild pitch and another off a ground out by Ames.

With the teams separated by only two runs, Verdon got the Aztecs' offense started, once more, with a two-run double in the fourth that sparked a seven-run outburst. For the game, he was 5-for-7 with six RBI and three runs scored.

Ames and Stott were the only Rebels to notch multiple hits in the affair, as the former had two to the latter's three. Both Ames and Nick Rodriguez scored twice.

Chase Maddux (2-3) was stuck with the loss after he allowed seven runs (two earned) off of six hits and two walks.

THE TURNING POINT: With UNLV holding on to a one-run lead, 3-2 in the third, the Rebels committed a fielding error in between a pair of fly outs that would have gotten them out of the inning unharmed, but kept it alive instead. The Aztecs then got a double and a walk to load the bases prior to Verdon and Nevarez's homers for five runs.

REBEL OF THE GAME: Ames went 2-for-5 at the plate with a pair of home runs, four RBI and two runs. He put UNLV up by one run, 3-2, in the bottom of the first with a two-run homer, and then added a solo shot in the seventh.

QUOTABLE: "As good as we played Friday, the last two days were disappointing," said head coach Stan Stolte. "You have to tip your hat to San Diego State. They just outplayed us in all phases Saturday and Sunday: pitching, offense and defense. This was humbling. We'll get off the mat and keep fighting though."

STAT OF THE GAME: SDSU's 23 hits, 22 runs and 16 RBI were the most allowed in each category by the Rebels this season.

REBEL NOTES:
- The Rebels' 20-5 record is still the best start through 25 games in program history.
- The Rebels are 6-3 in Mountain West games this season and 14-2 in nonconference contests.
- The Rebels are now 2-3 when they allow 10 or more runs in a game.
- The Rebels are now 5-5 when an opponent scores first and 3-3 when an opponent scores in the first inning.
- The Rebels are now 4-4 when they are outhit by an opponent.
- The Rebels have notched 10 or more hits in 20 games this season and own a 16-4 mark in those outings.
- Stott and Ames notched their 17th and eighth multiple-hit games of the season Sunday.
- Ames notched his eighth multiple-RBI game of the season Sunday.
- Max Smith (24 games), Grant Robbins (19), Rodriguez (16), Bryson Stott (13) and Kyle Isbel (13) had their reached-base streaks extended.
- Isbel, who had an 11-game hitting streak earlier in the year, has compiled hits in nine straight.

UP NEXT: UNLV will travel north on I-15 to finish off the home-and-home series with the Utah Utes Tuesday afternoon (1:00 pm). The contest against the Pac-12 squad, who the Rebels beat 3-1 on March 12 in Las Vegas, is the first of nine straight the Scarlet & Gray will play on the road, including three at UNR next weekend (March 29-31), two at Grand Canyon (April 3-4) and three at West Virginia (April 6-8).

BACK AT EARL E.: UNLV returns to Las Vegas and Earl E. Wilson Stadium on April 10 (6:05 pm) against the Arizona State Sun Devils.

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 12 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.