LAS VEGAS (UNLVrebels.com) – The UNLV baseball team (13-10, 2-4 MW) closed their weekend series with Fresno State (10-13, 3-3) on Sunday afternoon, the Rebels looking to sweep their Mountain West opponent. The two teams would trade punches back-and-forth at Earl E. Wilson Stadium, but the Bulldogs emerged on top with an 8-7 final score.
 
Fresno State struck first in the contest, taking a 1-0 lead early on the Rebel after scoring on a passed ball. The deficit wouldn't last long; JP Hefft and Cooper Sheff hitting back-to-back singles to start the bottom of the first to put themselves in prime position for a 2-RBI single by Cole Koniarsky. The Hustlin' Rebels tacked on one more run later in the bottom of the second inning, Sheff posting a long fly ball to right field that was able to drive in Chase Gallegos via sacrifice.
 
The Bulldogs clapped back in the top of the third inning, driving in three runs to push the score 4-3 back in favor of Fresno State. After the Hustlin' Rebels were shot down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the third, the fourth inning blasted a game-high four runs in the inning by two RBI hits from the UNLV lineup. Hefft was the first of the two to claim an RBI hit, pushing a 3-RBI home run after Dwight Allen II singled and Gallegos walked earlier in the inning. With the lead, Koniarsky plated another RBI hit with his single up the middle of the field to send Sheff home. 
 
Off the 7-4 Rebel lead, Fresno State would jam a three-run homer of their own in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game. The Bulldogs would score in a second-straight inning to pick up the 8-7 lead off an RBI single in the top of the seventh. 
 
The Scarlet & Gray produced baserunners in the final three innings, the bottom of the seventh placing runners on the corners with two outs. Toigo aso reached second base in the bottom of the eighth, but the momentum of his slide would push him off the bag for an unlucky tag. Isaac Rodriguez earned a single in his pinch-hitting duties to lead off the bottom of the ninth, but a line drive to the third baseman would close the Sunday contest.
 
"It's frustrating, we were in a good position in the middle innings, but we gave them an opportunity and they grabbed it" mentioned head coach Stan Stolte. "We're proud of a lot of things we did this weekend, but we're disappointed that we could finish it against a quality opponent and we only have ourselves to blame for that."
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Hefft's four hits in the game marked the first time in his Rebel career the second baseman has earned in a single game.
- Koniarsky's three RBIs in the Sunday contest also marked a season-high for the first-year Rebel.
- Cody Albright's two innings of work on the mound to close the game is the second time this season he's prevented an opponent from scoring, and the fourth time he's only allowed one hit in a multi-inning appearance.
- The lineup's 16 hits in the contest marked the second time this weekend that they produced 16 hits on the Bulldogs. 

UP NEXT
The Hustlin' Rebels will play one more game in Las Vegas before traveling out in their next away series, playing in the annual duel against Arizona State in the Las Vegas Ballpark. That contest is set for Tuesday, March 25 with a first-pitch of 6:05 p.m. PT, fans can get tickets now for the game here. To get updates on all things Hustlin' Rebels, links to the season's games can be found on the team's schedule page. You can also get live updates on how the Scarlet & Gray are faring on the team's X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook and Instagram accounts.