LAS VEGAS (UNLVrebels.com) – After opening the 2024 season with their best start since 2021, the UNLV baseball team (8-1) reached even higher heights in their conference opener on Friday night. The Rebels' offense soared past the San Jose St. Spartans (3-6), setting a new UNLV record for runs in a single-inning before they hit the final score of 23-5.
The Scarlet & Gray's historic 16-run inning came way during the bottom of the first, opening the Mountain West schedule with a dominant showcase. The entire lineup batted twice in the inning, opening the game to a quick 16-run lead.
Rylan Charles started the batting with a standing triple to right,
JP Hefft's double right on the right-field line brought in Charles to score. After a
Parker Schmidt single and the bases getting loaded,
Paul Myro IV's hit ball drove him in for a quick third run. Two more runs came way of
Bailey Seeger's double to center,
Chase Ditmar driving Seeger in from second with a single of his own.
Schmidt would single for a second-straight at bat into left field with the bases loaded, drawing in Charles and
Chase Ditmar for an eight-run lead.
Austin Kryszczuk takes a smart at bat to draw a walk while the bases were loaded,
Alex Pimentel clearing some bases with a single to the third basemen that would bring in
Kade Higgins and Schmidt. The Rebels would close out the inning with three-straight home runs, Myro IV kicking things off with a three-run slam to left-center field. Seeger followed him with a solo shot to the same spot, Ditmar completing the back-to-back-to-back with the record-setting 16th run of the inning.
UNLV defense shone just as brightly as the offense,
Austin Cates pitching five strong innings as the starting pitcher for the Rebels in the contest. The junior's third start of the 2024 season produced a season-high 11 strikeouts on the Spartans, only allowing one multi-base hit to average over two strikeouts per inning on the mound. Cates would record all three outs in the top of the second and fourth as strikeouts.
Reese Lueck stepped onto the mound for the Rebels for the second-straight game in the top of the sixth inning, the sophomore tossing 2.1 innings of work and only allowing one hit in nine batters faced.
Overall, the Scarlet & Gray featured two batters with three hits, Seeger and Ditmar both reaching the feat, the latter being a career-high. Kryszczuk and Myro IV tallied team-high marks in RBIs with four each, Seeger and Ditmar recording three of their own. Other Rebels to total multiple RBIs include Higgins (2) and Schmidt (2).
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- UNLV's historic first inning breaks a record originally set during the 1981 season, the Rebels scoring 14 runs in the third inning against U.S. International.
- The Rebels also tied a second program record in most triples in a single game, their three being one of 11 times now UNLV has hit that number (the last time was in 2018 against Air Force).
- Ditmar's homer during the back-to-back-to-back stretch marked the redshirt freshman's first longball as a Rebel.
UP NEXT
The Scarlet & Gray will look to continue their eight-game win streak on Saturday afternoon, playing in game two of their three-game set at 1:05 p.m. PT. That game, like the rest of the weekend, will be played on their home diamond at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
