LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV baseball team completed the weekend sweep of the New Mexico Lobos in walk-off fashion, 1-0, in 11 innings Sunday at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. With the victory, the Scarlet & Gray improved to 5-1 on the year – both overall and in the Mountain West, while the Cherry & Silver saw its record move to 4-6 overall and 3-3 in the MW.
Jack-Thomas Wold was the catalyst for the Rebel offense Sunday, recording three of its six hits in the contest. Wold stepped up with two on in the home half of the 11th and delivered the game-winning hit – a double – to left-center field to score Trevor Rosenberg from second base to end the affair off Lobo reliever Terrell Hudson (0-1).
Despite the two offenses combining to leave 15 runners on base after they collected 12 hits and seven walks, the game was defined by timely pitching and defense. Starting pitchers Tristin Lively (UNM) and Josh Sharman (UNLV) ended their starts with identical no decisions after giving up zero runs in 8.0 and 7.0 innings of work, respectively. Lively struck out 11 against one walk and four hits, while Sharman fanned two batters, walked two and gave up five hits.
More impressively, Sharman only had one runner reach second base, as four double plays and one pick off helped erase five runners from the base paths. Similarly, Lively only allowed three Rebels to reach scoring position during the game, two of which made their way to third base in the first and eighth innings.
UNLV relievers – Alex Tisminezky, Austin Bryan and Troy Balko (1-0) – combined to throw the final 4.0 innings, with three strikeouts, two walks and only one hit.
Hudson threw the final 2.0 innings for UNM; however, he surrendered the game-winner to Wold after holding the Rebels scoreless over the ninth and 10th frames.
NOTES:
-Sunday's game was the first extra-inning contest for either team and, subsequently, the first that each placed a runner on second base at the start of every extra frame – similar to what Major League Baseball did during its 2020 season and what collegiate and international softball has been doing for quite some time.
-UNLV's 5-1 start to the year marks the 12th time a Rebel squad has won at least five of its first six games.
-With the series sweep of UNM, UNLV has now won five of its last six over the Lobos dating back to their series in Albuquerque, N.M., on May 11-12, 2019.
-Wold concluded the three-game series hitting .571 with eight hits, three of which went for extra-bases (two doubles and one home run), five RBI and four runs scored. He registered a .929 slugging percentage and compiled a .600 on-base percentage.
-For the year, Wold is hitting .480 (12-for-25) with four doubles and one home run, seven RBI and five runs.
UP NEXT: UNLV hits the road for the first time in 2021 with a trip to the Golden State and America's Finest City for three games against the San Diego State Aztecs at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Rebels and Aztecs will square off in a doubleheader Saturday before they close out the MW series Sunday. First pitch for both days is slated for 1:00 pm.
