LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV baseball team (11-7, 9-6 MW) scored eight runs over the seventh and eighth innings to record its second straight come-from-behind victory over the Fresno State Bulldogs (7-13, 4-8 MW) Saturday at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. The Rebels' 9-6 triumph completed the three-game, Mountain West series sweep of the Bulldogs after winning Friday's doubleheader by scores of 9-5 and 10-9.
 
The Rebels found themselves trailing by two runs, 3-1, heading into their seventh inning at-bat; however, the offense managed to spring to life with six runs off six hits and a pair of Bulldog fielding errors. Jack-Thomas Wold and Eric Bigani got the comeback bid started with back-to-back singles off Fresno State starter Jamison Hill (2-1). Myles Denson and Austin Kryszczuk followed those at-bats with an RBI double and an RBI single, respectively. Denson managed to score the go-ahead run when the Bulldog center fielder misplayed Kryszczuk's single. UNLV padded its lead – 7-3 – later in the frame off a pair of doubles from Rylan Charles (two RBI) and Diego Alarcon (RBI).
 
The Bulldogs used the long ball – their third of the game – to pull within two runs, 7-5, in the eighth, as Ryan Higgins hit a one-out, two-run home run. The Rebels answered back in their half of the eighth, getting a solo homer from Bigani and a two-out RBI double from James Gamble to extend the lead back to four.
 
Fresno State made it interesting in the ninth by loading the bases off a pair of Rebel relievers. Noah Mattera (1-0) surrendered a single and a one-out walk before giving way to Troy Balko (save No. 2), who wound up walking the first batter he faced. Balko closed out the contest with two straight strikeouts; however, the he did allow one runner to score when he threw a wild pitch prior to the final out.
 
The first four runs of the game were scored off home runs. Fresno State's Andrew Kachel smashed a two-run shot in the fourth, which was followed by solo blasts from Denson in the fifth and Bulldog Nate Thimjon in the seventh.
 
Mattera picked up the win in 2.0 innings of relief, striking out one against three runs (all earned) off five hits and one walk. Balko earned his second straight save, throwing the final 0.2 innings with two strikeouts and one walk. Noah Beal got the start for the Rebels and fanned six against three runs (all earned) off three hits and two walks.
 
Hill was handed the loss after he threw the initial 6.2 innings for the Bulldogs, allowing six runs (four earned) off six hits and one walk. He did strike out three. Reliever Will Springer and Tommy Hopfe threw the final 1.1 innings, combining for three runs (two earned), five hits and one walk.
 
Offensively, UNLV had 11 hits in the affair with eight players recoding at least one, and three of those – Bigani, Denson and Kryszczuk - collecting two each. Denson added two RBI and two runs, while Bigani and Kryszczuk each chipped in with one RBI and two runs.
 
NOTES:
-The weekend sweep of Fresno State upped UNLV's home record to 9-2 on the year.
-Denson extended his team-best reached base streak to 11 games, and tied teammate Edarian Williams for the longest hit streak of the year at 10. Denson is batting .361 (13-for-36) during this stretch, with two doubles and two homers, six RBI and 10 runs.
-Williams; however, saw his 10-game hitting and reached-base streaks come to an end Saturday, going 0-for-4 at the plate. Williams had hit .357 (15-for-42) during his lengthy run.
-With 11 hits Saturday, UNLV has recorded double-figure hit totals in five straight contests and 10 of its last 11.
-With two hits Saturday, Bigani recorded his 10th multiple-hit game of the year, joining Wold (11 games) and Alarcon (10) as the only Rebels in double digits.