FRESNO, Calif. (UNLVrebels.com) – Coming into the final Mountain West matchup of the 2024 regular season, the UNLV baseball team (26-24, 12-18 MW) celebrated Mother's Day with a win over the league-leading Fresno State Bulldogs (29-22, 16-11) on Sunday. The Hustlin' Rebels tallied six home runs throughout the contest on the way to their 16-10 win.
Kade Higgins finished the game with the only Rebel to hit multiple home runs, slamming two in his five at bats. Tallying three RBI in the contest, he'd pick up two of them in solo home runs in the top of the sixth and top of the eighth innings. Two more Rebels reached the three-RBI mark in the contest,
JP Hefft and
Austin Kryszczuk each powering two-RBI long balls in the game. They would both launch their homers in the game's first two innings to push the lead to six,
Brendan O'Sullivan also putting in work during the first inning with a home run of his own.
Alex Pimentel collected his own home run later into the game during the bottom of the sixth inning, popping his just moments after Higgins to force the second of the inning for the program.
The Rebels featured several other efficient hits that stayed in the ballpark,
Paul Myro IV having a stellar day with multiple RBI hits for his three-hit appearance. He'd first single into left field with the bases loaded on a 0-1 count, bringing home Pimentel in the bottom of the fifth. In the top of the eighth he added an insurance run with a double in the same section of the outfield, scoring his senior teammate again.
The Rebels tossed four pitchers overall in the nine-inning contest,
Albert Roblez being credited the win off of three shutout innings. During that stretch, the junior would only allow one hit in the game while striking out two batters at the plate.
Matthew Maloney would step on the mound and close the final inning of the contest for the Rebels, picking up a strikeout himself en route to UNLV's 26th win of the season.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Kryszczuk's home run marks a milestone in style, tallying his 250th career hit as part of the UNLV baseball team. The home run was his 15th of the 2024 season.
- Higgins' two home runs was the third time in his Rebel career he's had multiple in a single game, achieving it for the first time in 2024 and last doing it against San Diego State last season.
- The Scarlet & Gray's 16 runs on Sunday was the 16th time in 2024 that the team reached double-digit runs in a single contest.
- UNLV's run streak continues after Sunday's contest, the Rebels scoring at least one run in the last 204 games they've played that dates back to the 2021 season.
UP NEXT
The Rebels will still compete in two nonconference games next weekend, facing off against Texas tech and Arizona State out in Tempe, Ariz. They'll play those two games on Friday and Saturday, first facing the Red Raiders on Friday, May 17 at 2 p.m. PT.
