LAS VEGAS – UNLV had Northern Colorado right where it wanted them.

Down six runs heading into the sixth inning, the Rebels chipped, scratched and slugged their way back to even, twice, before a sloppy tenth inning handed the Bears a 9-7 win Wednesday at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. Northern Colorado, somehow, escaped Las Vegas with its first win of the season at 1-13. UNLV falls to 10-4.

The loss will bother this team. It should.

For three innings, the Rebels looked like a completely different squad than the one that had gone quiet against a struggling Bears pitching staff. Drew Barragan launched a triple into the left-center gap in the sixth to get things started, then in the seventh Gunnar Myro stroked a base hit to center that cleared the bases, and when the ball skipped past the outfielder, Myro never stopped running. He scored standing up, and just like that six runs were gone.

Barragan wasn’t done. After Northern Colorado’s Jaden Stone put the Bears back ahead in the eighth with a double, Barragan turned on a pitch and put it over the left-field wall. Solo shot. Tied again at 7. The kid went 2-for-4 with a triple, a homer and three RBIs. On a day when UNLV needed someone to carry them, he answered.

Marcos Rosales was nearly as good. He reached base five times on two hits and three walks and set the table all afternoon. With two outs in the ninth, Rosales singled and Barragan drew an intentional walk. The tying run was standing on second. UNLV couldn’t cash it in.

Extra innings.

Jacob Gomberg walked two batters to open the tenth, a wild pitch moved them up, and Stone, who tormented the Rebels all day, lined a two-run single through the right side. Three batters, two runs, game over. Jax Pfister struck out the side in the bottom half and that was that.

Myro went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and the kind of hustle play that changes games. Gavin Taylor added two hits. This offense showed real fight when it needed to find some. It just needed one more.

UNLV heads to Minneapolis this weekend for the Cambria Classic at U.S. Bank Stadium, opening Friday against Minnesota. The Rebels are still 10-4 and still one of the better teams in the conference. But a loss to a 1-13 team, one you had beaten twice, only to let it slip in extras, sticks with you. It should fuel something.

Game Stats

Rebels Offense

  • Gunnar Myro: 3-for-4, 2 R, 2B
  • Drew Barragan: 2-for-4, HR, 3B, 3 RBI, 2 R
  • Marcos Rosales: 2-for-2, 3 BB
  • Gavin Taylor: 2-for-4, R
  • Nin Burns II: 1-for-5
  • Jack Salmon: 0-for-4, BB, R

Rebels Pitching

  • Yates Bland: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
  • Tate Foxson: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER)
  • Cody Albright: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, K
  • Gavyn Bowen: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K
  • Jase Evangelista: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 ER)
  • Jacob Gomberg (L): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K