LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV baseball and the Austin Peay Governors closed a wild four-game set Sunday afternoon in dramatic fashion, with Austin Peay edging UNLV 13-12 in 10 innings to force a 2-2 series split at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
HOW IT WENT DOWN: The Governors (2-2) struck first in the opening inning, taking advantage of a UNLV throwing error and an RBI fielder's choice by Andres Matias to grab a 1-0 lead. Austin Peay added another run in the third on Cole Johnson's RBI triple to right, pushing the advantage to 2–0.
UNLV (2-2) responded with its first big swing of the day in the bottom of the third. Marcos Rosales drove in the Rebels' first run with a single to shallow left before Drew Barragan followed with a two-run single, giving UNLV a 3-2 lead. Austin Peay answered with two runs in the fourth, highlighted by Paris Pridgen's RBI double and a steal of home, before extending the margin with a two-run fifth inning. The Governors then appeared to put the game away in the sixth, scoring five runs with the help of three hit batters, a wild pitch and multiple RBI singles to surge ahead 11-5.
Refusing to go quietly, UNLV began its comeback in the seventh. Jonny Rodriguez tripled to right-center to drive in a run, and Cooper Sheff added an RBI single as the Rebels trimmed the deficit to 11-7. The rally continued in the eighth when Barragan, Nin Burns II and Sheff each delivered run-scoring plays, capping a three-run frame that tied the game at 11-11.
Austin Peay regained the lead in the ninth on Matias' RBI single, but Rosales answered in the bottom half with a clutch solo home run to deep left, knotting the score again and sending the contest to extra innings. In the 10th, Pridgen reached on a dropped third strike and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt before Kyler Proctor singled up the middle to score the go-ahead run. UNLV went quietly in the bottom of the inning, sealing the 13-12 decision.
QUOTABLE: "Really hard fought series by both teams. We're a work in progress on the mound and we'll have people in the right places once the conference comes around. Disappointed splitting the series but battled toe-to-toe with a very talented veteran team that won 45 games last year. I feel really good about this group, and we need to get healthy and we'll continue to get better."
-Head Coach Stan Stolte
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- Barragan went 3-for-5 with three RBI, while Rosales delivered three hits and the game-tying homer in the ninth.
- Sheff and Jack Salmon both recorded six hits apiece in the series, while Barragan and Rosales collected five apiece.
- Sheff and Connor Tallakson recorded a pair of hits apiece, including Tallakson's first two of the season.
- 12 pitchers (7 Austin Peay, 5 UNLV) entered the game today.
- Felix Ong made his Rebel debut starting on the mound where he went 4.1 innings of work with five hits, six earned runs, six walks and two strikeouts.
UP NEXT: UNLV will hit the road for the first time this season Tuesday to face Big West opponent, UC Riverside. The midweek contest is slated to start at 2:05 pm.
