COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV Rebels wrapped up their stay in the Rockies with a 7-1 victory over the Air Force Falcons in the rubber game of the Mountain West series at Falcon Field Sunday morning. With the win, the Rebels (19-15 overall) claimed their third series in conference play and, subsequently, improved their MW record to 7-8. The Falcons (13-15), on the other hand, sit even in league play at 5-5.
 
The squads needed some time to awake the bats in the contest that began at 9:30 am local time (8:30 am PT). UNLV's Chase Maddux (2-2) and Air Force's Ethan Nichols (2-3) cruised through the first three innings on the mound, recoding a combined 18 straight outs.
 
The affair turned in the Rebels' favor in the fourth when Nichols' issued a walk to Bryson Stott and then surrendered an RBI double to Dillon Johnson and a two-run home run to Max Smith. UNLV scored three more in the fifth with help from Stott and Smith, once again, as the former plated two runs off a double, while Smith added another RBI off a two-out single.
 
Stott tacked on an insurance tally in the seventh when he came home from third off an errant pitch thrown by Air Force reliever Luke Chilcutt to Smith. Stott had initially reached off a one-out double and advanced 90 feet to third off a single by Johnson.
 
Maddux registered his longest outing of the season, going 7.0 innings, and allowed only one run off of five hits. The right-hander's only blemish came in the bottom of the eighth when he surrendered a solo home run to Cole Blatchford. Prior to the eighth, Maddux forced Air Force to leave four runners on base over the fourth through seventh.
 
Nichols was touched for six runs off of seven hits and one walk against three strikeouts.
 
REBEL(S) OF THE GAME: Maddux and Stott split the recognition after the former held the potent Air Force offense in check for seven innings, while the latter reached base safely in three at-bats with two doubles and a walk, and added three runs and two RBI.
 
STAT OF THE GAME: UNLV was 6-for-14 (.429) with runners on base and, more impressively, 5-for-10 (.500) with runners in scoring position. Conversely, Air Force was only 1-for-14 (.071) with runners on base and .000 (0-for-7) with runners in scoring position. Delving deeper, the Rebels were 2-for-3 (.667) with runners on third base and less than two out, while the Falcons were 0-for-1 (.000).
 
QUOTABLE: "Chase (Maddux) was lights out," said head coach Stan Stolte. "Pitching in a park like this and allowing only one run isn't easy to do. (Paul) Richy came in and did the same. Offense and defense were solid today, also. Anytime you can leave Air Force winning two of three you'll take it."
  
REBEL NOTES:
- UNLV upped its lead over Air Force in the all-time series, which sits at 103-35 in favor of the Rebels.
- Sunday's contest was the first instance Air Force has been held to one run at home this season, and it's the second instance in the past two seasons – a span of 31 games, thus far.
- UNLV's starting lineup consisted of five freshmen (James Gamble, Jacob Godman, Duke Pahukoa, Austin Pfeifer and Edarian Williams), three juniors (Maddux, Grant Robbins and Stott) and two seniors (Johnson and Smith).
- UNLV is 5-8 in road games this season.
- UNLV is 15-3 in games it scores six or more runs, and 3-1 when it scores exactly seven runs.
- UNLV is 4-0 in games it limits an opponent to a maximum of one run.
- UNLV is 11-6 in games it scores first.
- UNLV is 15-2 in games it leads after six innings, 13-2 when leading after seven and 14-3 when leading after eight.
- UNLV is 14-3 in games it outhits an opponent.
- UNLV has registered double-digit hits in six straight and 11 of its last 12 games.
- UNLV had three players register multiple-hit games: Smith (15th), Stott (14th), Johnson (14th).
- UNLV had two players register multiple-RBI games: Smith (ninth) and Stott (seventh).
- Williams extended his season-best, reached-base streak to 32 games.
- Williams is hitting .340 (17-for-50) over his last 12 games – which consists of five- and six-game hitting streaks – with at least one hit in 11 of the contests, and seven runs and seven RBI. Additionally, he has multiple-hit efforts in five of those contests.
- Smith extended his hit streak to 14 games, and is hitting .411 (23-for-56) during this stretch with seven multiple-hit games, nine extra-base hits (five homers and four doubles), 25 RBI and 13 runs.
- Stott is hitting .381 over his last five games, with eight hits in his last 21 at-bats, nine runs and seven RBI.
 
UP NEXT: UNLV returns home to host five straight against the likes of Arizona State, San Jose State and Grand Canyon. ASU, which is mentioned in all six top-25 polls and is ranked as high as No. 2 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, travels to Las Vegas for a Tuesday night affair (6:05 pm). SJSU will follow for three over the April 12-14 weekend, while GCU completes the home-and-home series on April 16 (2:05 pm).
  
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.