LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV Rebels recorded their ninth one-run win of the season Saturday night, with their 4-3 victory in 11 innings over the San Jose State Spartans in Mountain West play at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
Grant Robbins delivered the walk-off finish with an RBI double down the line in left field, scoring
Duke Pahukoa from second base.
By virtue of the extra-inning triumph, UNLV's
Stan Stolte recorded his 100th career win as the head coach of the Rebel baseball program. In fact, Stolte has been part of the last 257 victories in team history with 157 of those occurring while he served as the associate head coach from 2011-15.
The Scarlet & Gray improved to 21-16 on the year and 8-9 in the MW, while SJSU saw its marks slip to 18-17 and 12-5, respectively.
The Rebels jumped out to an early one-run lead in their first-inning at-bat off a solo home run from
Dillon Johnson, and then used a pair of sacrifice flies from
Edarian Williams and
Chase Hanson to plate Johnson and
Max Smith in the third to up their advantage to three runs.
The Spartans began to work their way back into the contest in the fourth when they scored once off a sacrifice fly before getting two runs in the sixth off a groundout and a wild pitch to draw even at 3-all.
The game remained deadlocked at 3-3 until Robbins' late-inning heroics on the third pitch he saw from SJSU reliever Wesley Clawson (2-3). Pahukoa entered the affair as a pinch-hitter in the 11th and wound up scoring the game-winning run after drawing a five-pitch walk and moving into scoring position off a sacrifice bunt by
Jacob Godman.
REBELS OF THE GAME: UNLV's pitching staff –
Ryan Hare,
Jackson Cofer and
Paul Richy – combined to allow only two earned runs (three total) in 11.0 innings of work. Hare threw the first 7.0 frames with four strikeouts against two earned runs (three total), six hits and two walks. Cofer tossed 3.0 innings of relief with a season-high six strikeouts and one hit allowed. Richy (2-1) picked up the win in 1.0 inning of relief with one strikeout against one hit and one walk.
STAT OF THE GAME: SJSU and UNLV combined to leave nine runners on base apiece, with a total of 10 of those stranded in scoring position. The Rebels left one at third base and five more at second, while the Spartans stranded one at third and three at second. Delving deeper, neither team hit well with runners on, as SJSU notched a .167 clip (3-for-18) to UNLV's .143 (2-for-14), nor with runners in scoring position, as the former went 0-for-6 (.000) to the latter's .125 (1-for-8).
QUOTABLE: "Today's game was very similar to last night's, except our pitching held them down late," said Stolte. "We played as poor defensively as we have all year, and we're fortunate to pull that one out. We're not playing well right now, but I'll give the kids credit, they're fighting through it."
REBEL NOTES:
- UNLV started six freshmen in the contest –
James Gamble, Godman, Hanson,
Austin Pfeifer,
Jason Sharman, Williams – while a seventh served as a pinch-hitter – Pahukoa.
- Clawson was the hard-luck loser, allowing only one run in 5.1 innings of relief, with six strikeouts against five hits and two walks.
- SJSU starter Tevin Cadola threw the first 5.0 innings, striking out seven against three runs, five hits and two walks.
- UNLV is 13-7 against nonconference competition this season and 8-9 against conference foes.
- UNLV leads the all-time series, which dates back to 1975, 43-33, and snapped SJSU's four-game win streak in the series – all of which were this season.
- UNLV is 9-7 in one-run games.
- UNLV is 4-1 in extra innings.
- UNLV is 5-8 when scoring four runs or fewer.
- UNLV is 10-3 when it holds an opponent to three runs or fewer.
- UNLV is 12-6 when it scores first and 7-5 when scoring in the first inning.
- UNLV is 4-10 when it outhits an opponent.
- Smith extended his reached-base streak to 21 games; however, Williams' 34-game run came to an end.
UP NEXT: UNLV and SJSU return to Earl E. Wilson Stadium Sunday afternoon at 1:05 pm for the rubber game of the conference series.
PURCHASE TICKETS: 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.
