RENO, Nev. (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV Rebels bounced back from Thursday's series-opening defeat with a 7-4 win over the UNR Wolf Pack Friday night to even the Mountain West series at one-game apiece. The Rebels (23-17, 10-10 MW) fell behind by a run after the first inning, but took control of the contest with two runs in both the third and fourth, and three more in the sixth, as Ryan Hare (6-2) silenced the Wolf Pack (20-18, 9-11 MW) for the better part of eight innings.
 
Hare, a redshirt junior and recipient of three MW Pitcher of the Week awards this season, improved to 6-2 with his second victory over UNR this season. He began Friday's outing by giving up back-to-back, one-out hits – a solo home run and a single, but rebounded by retiring the next 18 batters. He wound up facing four batters over the minimum with six strikeouts against two runs, three hits and zero walks. 
 
The Rebels' Bryson Stott paced the team offensively for the second straight outing, as the shortstop had three hits and added two runs and two RBI. Dillon Johnson and Edarian Williams had two hits and two RBI apiece, while Jason Sharman and James Gamble had two hits and two runs each.
 
UNLV was only able to produce one base runner over the first two frames – a one-out walk to Austin Pfeifer in the second; however, things turned in the third and fourth when the offense notched two runs off of three hits in each inning.
 
Sharman and Stott got the third started with a leadoff double and a one-out single that were followed by run-producing at-bats from Johnson (single) and Max Smith (groundout) off UNR starter Owen Sharts (3-7).  Stott and Johnson doubled the team's output in the fourth with two straight RBI singles after Seth Mullis and Gamble had reached safely off a walk and a single, respectively.
 
The Scarlet & Gray tacked on three runs off UNR reliever Tyler Smith in the sixth to push its lead to six with help from another RBI single from Stott as well as a two-run double from Williams. Sharman led off with a walk and scored off of Stott's hit, while the latter and Gamble (single) came home off of Williams' base knock.
 
The Wolf Pack got the three runs back in the eighth and ninth off a pair of home runs. Hare surrendered a solo shot in the eighth, while Rebel reliever Donavon McCrystal gave up a two-run homer in the ninth.

Jackson Cofer came in the affair - in relief of McCrystal - and recorded the final three outs to secure the win and notch his ninth save of the season, which tied him for third all-time with Brayden Torres (2014) and Rob Luce (1996).
 
REBEL OF THE GAME: Hare threw 8.0 innings and only surrendered three hits and two runs with both coming from solo homers. He threw a total of 103 pitches and struck out six. For the game, UNR was 3-for-27 against him, with an 0-for-8 showing from its leadoff batters. He retired 18 straight batters beginning with a fielder's choice in the first inning – for the second out – through a 5-3 groundout in the seventh.
 
STAT OF THE GAME: Hare threw 12 or fewer pitches in six of eight innings and was in single digits in three of those. He retired the side in the third on eight pitches, in the fourth on six and in the fifth on seven.
 
QUOTABLE: "Our offense did a great job adding on throughout the game, and Ryan Hare was really steady and solid in a tough atmosphere versus a quality team," said head coach Stan Stolte. "This is a tough place to win, especially when the crowd gets into it and our young kids need to experience this."
  
REBEL NOTES:
- In two outings vs. UNR this season, Hare is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in 14.0 innings of work, with 10 strikeouts against three runs, five hits and one walk. The Wolf Pack has hit .109 against the righty.
- UNR's four hits tied for the team's second lowest output of the season.
- UNR's Sharts went 4.0 innings for the loss, striking out five against four runs, six hits and three walks.
- UNR's Smith tossed 1.1 innings, striking out one against three runs, three hits and one walk.
- UNLV is 13-7 against nonconference competition this season and 10-10 against conference foes.
- UNLV leads the all-time series, which dates back to 1968, 87-67, with the Rebels winning three of four this season and seven of the last 10.
- UNLV is now 16-1 when scoring seven or more runs in a game.
- UNLV is now 12-4 when holding an opponent to four runs or less in a game.
- UNLV is 11-10 when an opponent scores first and 6-8 when an opponent scores in the first inning.
- UNLV is 17-3 when it outhits an opponent.
- UNLV has recorded double-digit hits in three straight games, and in 10 of its last 13, and 16 of its last 19.
- Max Smith extended his reached-base streak to 24 games, while Stott (16 games), Gamble (12) and Johnson (12) kept theirs alive, too.
- Stott and Johnson extended their hitting streaks to 11 games apiece.
- UNLV had five players record multiple-hit games: Stott (19th), Johnson (17th), Williams (15th), Gamble (10th) and Sharman (2nd).
- UNLV had three players record multiple-RBI games: Stott (10th), Williams (7th) and Johnson (5th).
- In his last 10 games, Stott is hitting .489 (22-for-45) with 10 extra-base hits (eight doubles and two homers) that has helped amass a .800 slugging percentage. With the combination of hits and 11 walks, he has a .589 on-base percentage. He's also scored 19 runs and knocked in 13 RBI.
- In his last 11 games, Johnson is hitting .378 (17-for-45) with seven extra-base hits (six doubles and one homer), 11 runs and 10 RBI. He's also been walked six times. Additionally, he has .578 slugging and .453 on-base percentages during this run.
 
SILVER STATE SERIES: Not only do this week's games between UNLV and UNR count towards the Mountain West standings, but they have added significance in the Silver State Series presented by IBEW and Nevada Donor Network. Dating back to the 2012-13 academic year, the Rebels have beaten the Wolf Pack five times (2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2017-18) and tied once (2016-17).
 
To date, the all-encompassing athletic and academic competition between the state's two NCAA Division I programs sits deadlocked at 13.5 with the inclusion of the women's golf results from the MW Championships. For the sport of baseball, the Rebels lead the Wolf Pack 3-2, with the three points possibly awarded this weekend or at the MW Championship – like last year – in Reno in late May.
 
UP NEXT: UNLV and UNR will square off, once more, in a rubber game Saturday (1:00 pm) at Peccole Park.
 
BACK AT EARL E: UNLV returns to Las Vegas and Earl E. Wilson Stadium for a three-game, Mountain West series on April 26-28 against the San Diego State Aztecs; however, a road contest – Tuesday (April 23) – against the No. 12 Arizona State Sun Devils will come first.
  
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.