SAN JOSE, Calif. (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV Rebels suffered a 7-6 loss to the San Jose State Spartans Sunday afternoon in Mountain West play at Municipal Stadium. The Rebels pushed out to a five-run lead, 6-1, through two innings of play, but were unable to maintain their edge, as the Spartans chipped away at the deficit beginning in the third. SJSU drew even with three runs in the sixth and claimed its only lead with the go-ahead tally in the eighth.
 
With the loss, the Scarlet & Gray sits 11-10 on the year and 2-4 in conference play. SJSU, on the other hand, improved to 12-7 overall and 6-3 in the MW, with its weekend sweep.
 
UNLV scored six of the game's first seven runs, but was held off the scoreboard after its five-run outburst in the second inning. The Rebels' first two runs were a result of spotty pitching with the bases loaded by Spartan starter Ben Polack, as Grant Robbins was hit by a pitch in the first and Jack-Thomas Wold was walked in the second. SJSU managed to score once, in between those two tallies, with help from three straight singles in the bottom of the first.
 
After reclaiming the lead off Wold's free pass, the Rebels upped their edge to five runs off back-to-back, two-run singles from Max Smith and Robbins.
 
The Spartans answered back in the third and fourth with one run in each frame off a sac fly and a groundout, respectively, to pull within three, 6-3. The hosts drew even in the sixth with the help from a fielding error that was later followed by an RBI single and a two-run triple. SJSU took the lead in the eighth off a two-out RBI single by Blake Berry.
 
Kellen Strahm was the primary catalyst for the Bay Area squad's comeback, going 4-for-4 at the plate with a triple and two singles that resulted in three RBI.
 
REBEL OF THE GAME: Robbins went 1-for-3 at the plate and produced three RBI with one coming off a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and two more off a single.
 
STAT OF THE GAME: UNLV was outhit 13-8 in the game, and had half of its hit haul come in the first two innings of the game. The Rebels registered one hit in the first and three more in the second, but was only able to manage four more hits over the final six frames of the game – one each in the third, sixth, eighth and ninth. 
 
QUOTABLE: "Everything all weekend didn't go out way; most of it our fault" said head coach Stan Stolte. "We had bad offensive execution, didn't make the big pitch when we needed to and just overall, we weren't tough enough. San Jose State played sound baseball all 27 innings to their credit and we did not."
 
REBEL NOTES:
- Despite the loss, UNLV leads the all-time series 42-32 over SJSU.
- UNLV is now 5-5 in one-run games this season, with three of those losses coming in this series against SJSU.
- UNLV is now 7-2 in games it scores six or more runs.
- UNLV is now 3-7 in games it allows an opponent to score six or more runs.
- UNLV is now 6-3 in a game it scores first; 3-1 in a game it scores in the first inning.
- UNLV is 3-6 when it is outhit by an opponent.
- SJSU's Wesley Clawson (1-1) earned the win in 1.0 inning of relief, striking out one.
- SJSU's Fineas Bonta-Smith earned his fifth save of the season – and second in as many games – in 1.0 inning of relief, striking out one against one hit. Bonta-Smith was credited with the win in Friday's outing, too.
- UNLV's Jackson Cofer (1-2) was tagged with the loss in 1.0 inning of relief, striking out two against one run off of two hits and one walk.
- UNLV's Chase Maddux earned a no decision after going 5.1 innings in the start, allowing four runs (three earned) off nine hits and two walks.
- UNLV's Dillon Johnson notched his ninth multiple-hit game of the season with two hits Sunay.
- With his two hits Sunday, Johnson has produced a .404 batting average (21-for-52) with 21 hits in his last 12 outings. Moreover, he has at least one hit in 10 games of this stretch with eight of those resulting in multiple-hit displays.
 
UP NEXT: UNLV returns to Las Vegas and Earl E. Wilson Stadium for nine straight games. The Rebels will open the lengthy homestand against Cal State Northridge Tuesday (2:05 pm) before welcoming intrastate rival UNR to town for three (March 22-24). UC Riverside (March 26-27) and New Mexico (March 29-31) will also travel to Southern Nevada to face the Rebels.
 
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.