LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV Rebels (3-2) held on for a one-run win, 9-8, over the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (2-2) Wednesday in an affair that came down to the final out at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. The Rebels pushed ahead by five runs, 9-4, through five innings, but had to hold off a late surge by UCSB, which managed to get the potential game-tying run to third base in the ninth, but was unable to capitalize at the end.
 
The Gauchos found themselves with the opportunity to draw even in the final frame after its offense scored twice in both the sixth and eight innings. In the ninth, UCSB's Jason Willow made his way on base with a one-out single and then promptly moved to second and third with a stolen base and help from a groundout to first.
 
The game came down to a pitcher-batter duel between UNLV reliever Jackson Cofer and UCSB's Tommy Jew. The at-bat wound up going 11 pitches with Cofer winning the battle, getting Jew to hit a grounder back to the mound that turned into the final out of the contest. The at-bat could have been ended earlier when Cofer got Jew to hit a fly ball down into right-field foul territory, but the ball was misplayed and extended the inning by three pitches.
 
The Scarlet & Gray, who trailed by as much as three runs at 4-1, used four-run outbursts in the third and fourth to put enough distance between itself and the Gauchos. UCSB managed to pull within one after it recorded two runs in both the sixth and eighth innings.
 
UNLV's offense was paced by Jacob Godman and Max Smith who combined for five hits, six RBI and three runs. Godman got the scoring started with an RBI single in the second and capped it in the fifth with a three-run triple, which proved to produce the game-winning run. Smith, on the other hand, scored twice off of Godman's hits and once off his own two-run, third-inning homer.
 
Godman (catcher) was one of six freshmen to start Wednesday's game, as Stolte also penciled in Edarian Williams (second base), Duke Pahukoa (third base), Chase Hanson (designated hitter), James Gamble (center field) and Ty Pohlmann (starting pitcher) against UCSB. Fellow freshmen Austin Pfeifer and Jason Sharman also saw action in the affair as pinch-hitters.
 
THE TURNING POINT: The Rebels entered the third inning trailing by three, 4-1, but wound up leading by one, 5-4, with help from three hits and an error. James Gamble and Bryson Stott got things started with a single and double, respectively, and came home when UCSB second baseman Andrew Martinez let a grounder by Jack-Thomas Wold roll through his legs. Two more runs were put on the scoreboard when Smith belted his homer over the fence in right field.
 
REBEL OF THE GAME: Godman went 2-for-4 at the plate with four RBI; three of which coming off his fifth-inning triple.
 
QUOTABLE: "What a hard-fought, competitive game," said UNLV head coach Stan Stolte. "I tip my hat to UCSB; they just wouldn't go away. To come away with a W is a good feeling going into a challenging weekend at Stanford. Jackson Cofer really showed some toughness getting that last out twice against a very good hitter."
 
STAT OF THE GAME: One day after stranding 10 runners on base against UCSB Tuesday, the Rebels only left two runners on base Wednesday. On the other hand, the Gauchos left 11 runners on base with five of those occurring in the first two innings of the game.
 
REBEL NOTES:
- UNLV leads the all-time series, which dates back to 1975, with UCSB 32-19-1.
- Ryan Hare (1-0) earned his first win of the season after throwing 3.0 innings of relief with three strikeouts and one hit.
- Cofer picked up his second save of the season throwing 1.2 scoreless innings and allowing two hits.
- Pohlmann made his collegiate debut for the Rebels on the mound, giving up four runs (two earned) off of three walks against two strikeouts.
- UCSB's Kevin Chandler (0-1) suffered the loss after he surrendered two runs off of two hits in the third.
 
UP NEXT: UNLV heads to the Bay Area to face the No. 5 Stanford Cardinal this weekend. The three-game, nonconference series begins Friday night, with first pitch slated for 6:00 pm. Games two and three are set for Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 pm and 1:00 pm, respectively. The Rebels will have Cameron Jabara (Friday), Bradley Spooner (Saturday) and Chase Maddux (Sunday) start against the Pac-12 squad.
 
REBELS BACK HOME: UNLV returns to Las Vegas and Wilson Stadium on Feb. 26 to face its second straight Pac-12 opponent, the Utah Utes. The Tuesday contest is slated to start at 2:05 pm.
 
PURCHASE TICKETS: Tickets are now on sale for the 2019 season. Season tickets are just $90 for adults (13 and older) and $75 for UNLV faculty, staff and alumni, and seniors (62-plus). Single-game ticket prices this season are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors, faculty and staff seniors, and $4 for groups of 15 or more. Fans that purchase tickets online up to three hours prior to first pitch can get them for an advanced single-game price of $5.
 
All high school, middle school and elementary students are now free under UNLV's new admission policy. To receive free admission, high school students must present valid Nevada area school I.D. at the box office on gameday to receive one (1) complimentary ticket. All other students will receive a complimentary ticket at the box office (no I.D. required). Kids not yet elementary school age will continue to receive free admission for all UNLV Olympic sports.