LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - A game that began with early promise for UNLV turned into a late-inning avalanche, as the Rebels fell 17-14 to CSU Bakersfield in a wild, high-scoring affair on Monday afternoon at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.

HOW IT WENT DOWN: UNLV (17-12) jumped out to an early lead and held control through much of the middle innings, but a seven-run eighth inning by CSU Bakersfield proved to be the final blow in a back-and-forth contest that featured 31 total runs and 32 hits.

The Scarlet & Gray struck first in the opening frame when Drew Barragan tripled and later scored on Nin Burns II's RBI triple to center. UNLV added to its lead in the second inning as Jack Salmon launched a solo home run to deep center, making it 2-0. After CSU Bakersfield got on the board in the third and took a 3-2 lead in the fourth, UNLV responded immediately. A two-run double from pinch hitter Gavin Taylor in the bottom of the fourth put the Rebels back in front, 4-3.

The offense continued to roll in the fifth, as Barragan delivered again with a two-run double to left-center, and Cooper Sheff added an RBI groundout to extend the lead to 7-4. Taylor later added a solo home run in the sixth, pushing the advantage to 8-4.

However, the Roadrunners began chipping away. A two-run homer by Devon Wilkes in the seventh cut the lead to 8-6, setting the stage for a decisive eighth inning. The Roadrunners capitalized on control issues and timely hitting in the top of the eighth, plating seven runs on four hits. The inning flipped the game on its head, turning an 8-6 deficit into a commanding 13-8 lead. UNLV attempted to respond in the bottom half, scoring twice on an RBI groundout by Jayden Hertel and a sacrifice fly from Taylor to make it 13-10, but the damage had been done.

The Roadrunners added four more runs in the ninth, highlighted by a two-run double from Nick Mascaro, stretching the lead to 17-10. To their credit, the Rebels refused to go quietly. Jonny Rodriguez opened the bottom of the ninth with a solo home run, and Sheff later blasted a two-run homer as part of a four-run inning that brought UNLV within three. But the comeback effort ultimately fell short, as CSU Bakersfield recorded the final outs to secure the 17-14 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
-Drew Barragan went 3-for-5 with two RBI, a single, double and triple.
-Barragan has upped his batting average to .473 with a team-high 53 hits.
-Gavin Taylor recorded his third home run of the season and his second multi-hit game of the season.
-Jack Salmon belted his first Rebel home run of his career and went 2-for-4
-Jonny Rodriguez hit his fourth home run of the season and it was his second consecutive game with a home run.
-UNLV tallied 13 extra-base hits - six doubles, four home runs, three triples.

UP NEXT: UNLV will close out its season-long 11-game homestand with a three-games series against New Mexico Thursday-Saturday, April 2-4. Games one and two will start at 6:05 pm with the series finale scheduled for 12:05 pm.