LAS VEGAS — The Hustlin’ Rebels took care of business Wednesday afternoon at Earl E. Wilson Stadium, run-ruling Western Michigan 16-1 in seven innings to complete a two-game sweep and extend their winning streak to five games.
UNLV followed Tuesday’s 9-5 victory by taking control much earlier in the rematch. The Rebels scored twice in the first inning, added five more in the second and never gave Western Michigan an opportunity to work its way back into the game. UNLV scored in five consecutive innings, stayed disciplined at the plate and consistently turned Western Michigan mistakes into additional damage.
The win moved UNLV to 7-2 as the Rebels prepare for their first road series of the season this weekend at Santa Clara.
“Good two days for us! Western Michigan ran out of pitching, but we did what we needed to do,” UNLV head coach Stan Stolte said. “Offensively, we didn’t throw away many at-bats, played catch defensively for the most part, and from a pitching standpoint, we threw strikes. It’s a good group to coach.”
UNLV Breaks It Open Early
UNLV started Reggie Bussey in center field, Marcos Rosales at second base, Drew Barragan at third, Nin Burns II in right, Jonny Rodriguez at first, Cooper Sheff at shortstop, Jack Salmon in left, Gavin Taylor behind the plate and Jayden Hertel at designated hitter. Yates Bland made the start on the mound.
Western Michigan countered with Tanner Mally in center, Drew Howard at second, Michael Maloney at shortstop, Lucas Rick at designated hitter, Mark Mennecke in right, Connor Ostrander and Mason Pilarski in the infield, Nolan Zajac at catcher and Cooper Hums in left. Sam Carlisle started on the mound.
UNLV immediately put pressure on Carlisle in the first. Rosales walked, stole second and advanced again on a wild pitch before Rodriguez singled into left-center to bring home two runs and give the Rebels a 2-0 lead.
The game broke open one inning later. A Western Michigan error extended the second inning, and UNLV made the Broncos pay for it. Rosales drove in another run with a single before Barragan launched a three-run home run that pushed the lead to 6-0.
Burns followed Barragan with a solo home run, giving UNLV back-to-back long balls and a 7-0 advantage before Western Michigan had completed its second trip through the lineup.
The inning reflected what Stolte liked about UNLV’s approach throughout the two-game series. The Rebels did not give away many at-bats, and once Western Michigan provided extra opportunities, UNLV consistently turned them into runs.
UNLV Answers Every Western Michigan Push
Western Michigan finally got to Bland in the third when Howard delivered an RBI single to cut the deficit to 7-1. It was the only run the Broncos scored all afternoon.
UNLV responded immediately rather than allowing Western Michigan to build any momentum. Hertel drove in a run, Bussey followed with an RBI single and another Western Michigan throwing error brought home an additional runner as the Rebels stretched the lead to 11-1.
The scoring continued in the fourth. Salmon singled home another run before Taylor delivered a two-run double to make it 14-1. UNLV then added its final two runs in the fifth when Nicky Garritano drew a bases-loaded walk and Sheff lifted a sacrifice fly to push the margin to 16-1.
By that point, the result was no longer in doubt. UNLV had scored in each of the first five innings and had turned the game into a run-rule situation while continuing to pressure Western Michigan’s pitching staff.
Barragan finished 2 for 5 with his three-run homer and three RBIs. Burns homered, scored three times and drew two walks. Rosales scored three runs, drove in another and stole a base, while Rodriguez finished with two RBIs. Taylor added two RBIs with his double, and Sheff collected two hits and drove in a run.
Bland Sets the Tone on the Mound
The offense gave UNLV plenty of room, but Bland never allowed Western Michigan to create enough traffic to make the game uncomfortable.
The 6-foot-6 right-hander worked five innings and allowed one earned run on five hits while striking out four and issuing no walks. Bland improved to 2-0 and continued the type of strike-throwing Stolte emphasized afterward.
Colton Sundloff handled the sixth inning without allowing a hit or a run. Tate Foxson followed with a scoreless seventh, working around two walks and recording one strikeout to complete the run-rule victory.
Western Michigan needed six pitchers after Carlisle lasted only one inning. Carlisle took the loss after allowing three runs, two earned, on one hit and three walks. Zach Vriesenga followed and allowed four runs, all unearned, over one inning. Diego Pena, Matt Hoover, Adam Lehmann and Drew Everingham were all charged with runs before Pilarski worked a scoreless sixth.
The constant pitching changes did little to slow UNLV because the Rebels kept producing quality at-bats. Western Michigan’s mistakes extended innings, but UNLV still had to capitalize on them, and that became one of the biggest differences between the teams.
Fleming-Like Balance Across the Lineup
UNLV’s 16 runs did not come from one hitter carrying the lineup. Barragan and Burns supplied the power, but production came from throughout the order.
Rosales repeatedly created pressure at the top, scoring three times and adding a stolen base. Rodriguez drove in two runs, Taylor delivered the two-run double, Sheff collected a pair of hits and Bannarbie-style?
Across the lineup, UNLV kept extending innings and forcing Western Michigan to record outs rather than handing them away. That became increasingly important as the Broncos worked deeper into their bullpen and struggled to find someone capable of stopping the inning-to-inning pressure.
The result was a game that stopped feeling competitive early. UNLV led 7-0 after two innings, answered Western Michigan’s only run immediately and never allowed the Broncos to produce a second scoring threat.
The Hustlin’ Rebels finished the two-game set with 25 runs and two victories, but Stolte’s postgame emphasis went beyond the score. His focus was on the quality of the at-bats, the defense playing cleanly and the pitching staff filling the strike zone.
Those are the parts that give UNLV something to carry into the weekend rather than simply the size of Wednesday’s margin.
UNLV Takes Five-Game Winning Streak on the Road
The Hustlin’ Rebels have now won five consecutive games and will leave Las Vegas for the first time this season when they travel to Santa Clara for a three-game series beginning Friday night.
The road trip will give UNLV a different test after opening the season primarily in familiar surroundings, but the Rebels leave home with the offense producing throughout the lineup and a pitching staff that allowed Western Michigan only one run Wednesday.
UNLV did what it was supposed to do against a Western Michigan team that had run thin on pitching. More importantly, the Rebels did not allow the circumstances to change their approach. They kept taking productive at-bats, kept putting pressure on the bases and kept throwing strikes.
After two days and 25 runs against Western Michigan, UNLV heads to Santa Clara at 7-2 with its longest winning streak of the young season.
