LAS VEGAS (UNLVrebels.com) – After the Rebels notched their second-straight walk-off win on Tuesday night, the UNLV baseball team (17-15) took the field once more against Utah Tech (8-24) on Wednesday afternoon to close the series and 10-game homestand. After erupting for four runs in the bottom of the second inning, the Rebels would pick up their third-straight win, this time on a 7-2 final score.
The Scarlet & Gray hit .342 as a team in the contest,
Santino Panaro leading the lineup with three hits in five at bats from the seven spot of the order. He'd send a single to the shortstop on an oddly-hit ball to reach first base, attempting to steal second in the next at-bat that forced an error on the catcher and placed him third. Later scoring in that inning, He'd end up stealing another base in the bottom of the third inning after singling up the middle of the field.
Paul Myro IV also had a strong day on the mound as a multi-hit batter, picking up a pair of hits with two runs and two free trips to first on a walk and hit-by-pitch. The nine-hole hitter earned his RBI in the contest in the bottom of the second, the double to right field that scored Panaro marked the original lead the Rebels got in the contest. Other multi-hit batters in the game included
Austin Kryszczuk,
Kade Higgins and
Rylan Charles.
The Rebels' RBI leaders in
Brendan O'Sullivan and Kryszczuk both came off of one hit each, the former tallying his third home run in the last three games in the bottom of the second inning. O'Sullivan's long ball would cap a four-run inning for UNLV, the highest half inning on the day. Kryszczuk's set of RBIs stemmed from the bottom of the seven inning, tacking on the team's final two runs of the game with a double through the left side of the field. His hit on the 1-0 count came way while the bases were loaded, driving in both Charles and Myro IV on the play.
UNLV's pitchers showcased some strong performances as well,
Noah Carabajal picking up the start on the mound and throwing five shutout innings for the Rebels. The Las Vegas native would fan four batters and only allow one walk in his appearance, picking up the win.
LJ Mercurius would close the game for the Scarlet & Gray and pick up two strikeouts of his own, completing 2.1 innings on the mound for his first save of the year.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- O'Sullivan becomes the first Rebel to hit a home run in three-straight games this season after Wednesday's long ball, the first Rebel since Hank Zeisler did it in April of the 2022 season.
- Mercurius' closing performance on the mound credited his first collegiate save, the freshman picking up the honor in his eighth appearance of the season.
- UNLV's win on Wednesday titled the season series as a sweep against Utah Tech, beating the Trailblazers on the road back in February.
- The Rebels extend their streak of scoring at least one run in a game to 186-consecutive games, dating back to the 2021 season.
UP NEXT
The Scarlet & Gray will take the road this weekend in their next series, traveling out to San Diego State for a three-game set. The first match will take place on Friday, April 12 at 6 p.m. PT and run through Sunday, April 14 before facing off against California Baptist on Monday, April 15.
