LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV Hustlin' Rebels erased a three-run deficit and survived multiple late threats before Gunnar Myro delivered a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift UNLV to a dramatic 9-7 victory over the San Diego State Aztecs on Saturday afternoon at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. With the win, the Scarlet & Gray earned the No. 6 seed in the Credit Union 1 Mountain West Baseball Championship next week in Mesa, Arizona.
HOW IT WENT DOWN: With the game tied 7-7 in the 10th, Connor Tallakson opened the inning with a single to center before Myro launched a 3-1 pitch deep over the center-field wall, sending the Rebels pouring out of the dugout in celebration. The thrilling finish capped a wild back-and-forth contest that saw UNLV (30-24, 11-13 MW) overcome a 6-3 deficit after San Diego State (33-22, 16-8 MW) erupted for five runs in the fourth inning.
The Rebels struck first in the second when
Cooper Sheff lined an RBI single to center, scoring
Nin Burns II for a 1-0 lead. After the Aztecs tied the game in the third on Tyce Peterson's RBI single, Burns II answered immediately in the bottom half with a towering two-run homer to deep left that gave UNLV a 3-1 advantage. San Diego State flipped the game in the fourth inning with an aggressive offensive outburst. Jake Jackson delivered a two-run single to tie the game, and the Aztecs capitalized on a pair of Rebel errors and a wild pitch to plate five runs in the frame and take a 6-3 lead. UNLV's bullpen settled the game down from there.
After Gunnar Myro walked and Reggie Bussey beat out a bunt single in the seventh inning, Marcos Rosales loaded the bases with an infield single. Drew Barragan brought home the first run with a sacrifice fly before Burns II ripped an RBI double down the left-field line to cut the deficit to one. Moments later, Jonny Rodriguez lined a two-run single into left field, scoring Rosales and Burns to give the Rebels a 7-6 lead and complete the four-run rally.
San Diego State answered in the eighth when Jackson came through again with an RBI single to tie the game at 7-7, but both bullpens tightened from there. UNLV escaped major trouble in the top of the 10th after the Aztecs loaded the bases with one out. Josh Donegan worked out of the jam by inducing a fielder's choice to strand all three runners and preserve the tie. That set the stage for Myro's heroics one inning later.
QUOTABLE: "So many kids stepped up today in a must win. We have a lot of respect for San Diego State, they play the game the right way and are so sound and well coached. Ryan Marton was incredible out of the bullpen and then Gunnar Myro made a big play in the top of the 10th and then had the big swing in the bottom of the 10th. We started out 0-3 in conference and were chasing wins all year which is hard to do, but this group stuck together."
-Head Coach Stan Stolte
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
-With Drew Barragan's single in the ninth inning, the redshirt senior has now reached base in all 52 games he has played in this season and has an on-base streak of 53 games dating back to his time at Western Kentucky last season.
-Gunnar Myro now has a 16-game hitting streak with his 1-for-3 afternoon.
-Nin Burns II hit his 10th home run of the season.
-Burns II paced the Rebels offensively, finishing 4-for-5 with a home run, double, two singles and three RBI.
-Jonny Rodriguez added two RBI, while Rosales collected two hits.
-Josh Donegan collected his first win of the season as the junior pitched in the 10th inning, walking three batters.
-Starting pitcher Yates Bland went 3.1 innings giving up nine hits, six earned runs with two walks and four strikeouts.
UP NEXT: No. 6 seed UNLV will face No. 3 seed Air Force in the CU1 MW Baseball Championship on Thursday, May 21 at 1 pm.
