LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV Rebels suffered an 8-5 setback to the Bradley Braves Saturday in game two of the nonconference series between the Mountain West and Missouri Valley squads at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. The Rebels (8-7) trailed the Braves (7-4) by one run, 5-4, through six innings of play, but were outscored 3-1 down the stretch.
 
Bradley's offense was powered by Luke Shadid and his 5-for-6 day at the plate, which resulted in the first cycle in program history. Shadid led off the contest with a solo home run, singled in the second, singled in the fourth, tripled in the sixth and doubled in the eighth. He was a perfect 5-for-5 until he flew out to right field in the ninth. Besides his efforts from the batter's box, he provided three runs and two RBI.
 
The Braves attempted to pull away from the Rebels in the third and fourth, but the home squad managed to match the visitors from Illinois run for run. The teams scored once apiece in the third and three times each in the fourth. UNLV's offense came from three RBI singles and help from a fielding error. Jack-Thomas Wold was responsible for two of the run-scoring hits, while Dillon Johnson had the third.
 
After consecutive scoreless innings, Bradley pushed across two runs in the seventh and added one more in the eighth to extend its lead to four, 8-4. Johnson was able to get a run back for the Scarlet & Gray in the eighth, but that was the last bit of offense created by the Rebels in the affair.
 
TURNING POINT: UNLV had a chance to even the score at 5-all in the sixth, but the would-be, game-tying run was thrown out at the plate to end the inning. Moments after it nearly had its one-run lead wiped out, Bradley was able to score twice in the seventh to go ahead 7-4.
 
REBEL(S) OF THE GAME: Johnson and Wold were both 3-for-5 at the plate with two RBI each; however, the former added one run.
 
STAT OF THE GAME: Bradley's 1-2-3 hitters combined for 10 of the team's 14 hits, going 10-for-14 at the plate. Additionally, the trio had seven extra-base hits with four doubles, two triples and one homer. They scored six of the squad's eight runs and also produced four RBI. The remainder of the Braves' offense had four hits, but also chipped in four RBI and two runs.
 
STAT OF THE GAME, PART TWO: UNLV's 1-2-3 hitters had eight of the team's 12 hits with an 8-for-13 performance, although only one hit went for extra bases – a double. They did knock in all four of the team's credited RBI and scored three of its five runs. The rest of the Rebels had four hits and one run.
 
QUOTABLE: "We are not swinging the bats well, right now," said head coach Stan Stolte. "Just overall, we haven't been taking competitive at-bats. (Ryan) Hare and (Matthew) Mitchell came out of the bullpen and gave us a chance, but we couldn't get anything going against them. Bradley was the tougher team today and got rewarded by the effort."
 
REBEL NOTES:
- UNLV is now 3-1 all-time against Bradley after Saturday's result.
- Bradley's Brooks Gosswein improved to 2-1 with 6.0 innings of work, allowing four runs (two earned) off of 11 hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
- Bradley's Jed Moscot earned his first save of the season, going 3.0 innings with one run off of one hit, one walk and one strikeout.
- UNLV's Bradley Spooner (1-1) struck out six, but suffered the loss after throwing 3.2 innings, giving up five runs off of seven hits and three walks.
- UNLV's pitchers combined to strikeout 12 batters compared to five by Bradley's pair of hurlers.
- UNLV had four players record multiple hits with Johnson and Wold recording three each, while Bryson Stott and Vince Taormina had two apiece.
- Stott leads the Rebels with seven multiple-hit games this season, while Johnson upped his total to six. Wold and Taormina have four and three multiple-hit games, respectively.
- Edarian Williams extended his hitting and reached-base streaks to 14 games after Saturday's contest.
- Since the second game of the season (Seattle/Feb. 16), Williams is hitting .362 (21-for-58) with five multiple-hit games, while producing 13 runs and 12 RBI.
- Smith has 14 hits in his last eight games – five of which have been multiple-hit affairs – for a .359 batting average (14-for-39) to go along with five runs and three RBI.
- With his three hits Saturday, Johnson has gone 12-for-31 (.387) at the plate with four runs and four RBI in his last six games.
 
UP NEXT: UNLV and Bradley return to Wilson Stadium Sunday for the rubber game of their nonconference series. First pitch is slated for 1:05 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.