The Rebels ran into a tough closing act Sunday afternoon.
UNLV fell 15-1 to Purdue in five innings at Eller Media Stadium to finish the UNLV Leadoff Classic. Purdue jumped out early with four runs in the first and four more in the second, then added single runs in the fourth and a six-run fifth to bring the run rule into play.
The Rebels finished with two hits and one run. That came in the fourth inning. However, the early damage left little room to fight back.
Early hole is hard to escape
Purdue grabbed control right away in the top of the first. The Boilermakers scored four times on three hits, and an UNLV error kept the inning alive.
The second inning hit even harder. A grand slam pushed the lead to 8-0 and put the Rebels in chase mode for the rest of the day.
UNLV went to the bullpen quickly in an effort to stop the momentum. Lauren Fettic took the loss after recording one out in the first. Raegen Everett followed and was charged with five runs in two-thirds of an inning.
Yanina Sherwood provided stability after that. Sherwood worked 3.0 innings of relief and allowed one run on one hit while striking out one. Sophie Stockam handled two-thirds of the fifth and gave up six runs, though only two were earned. Amelia Weber recorded the final out of the game.
Barnes cashes in the best chance
UNLV’s best push came in the bottom of the fourth.
Keyannah Chavez doubled to center to put a runner in scoring position, then Hailey Gilbertson entered as a pinch runner. Charelle Aki reached on a Purdue error to give the Rebels two on, and Presley Barnes followed with an RBI single to right-center to score Gilbertson and cut it to 9-1.
That was UNLV’s lone run of the afternoon. Barnes finished 1-for-2 with the RBI. Chavez went 1-for-1 with a double and a walk, and Diamond Sefe drew a pinch-hit walk in the fifth.
One inning finishes it
Purdue added one run in the fourth to make it 9-0, then turned the game into a run-rule final with a six-run fifth. The inning included a two-run homer, plus additional scoring aided by unearned plays and baserunning pressure.
UNLV committed two errors in the game, and the Rebels were forced to defend extended innings in the first and again in the fifth.
Up next: UNLV Desert Classic
UNLV stays home next weekend to host the UNLV Desert Classic at Eller Media Stadium.
The Rebels open on Friday, Feb. 13, facing UC Davis at 3 p.m. PT, then return for Quinnipiac at 6 p.m. PT.
Play continues Saturday, Feb. 14, with Seattle U at 3 p.m. PT, followed by Quinnipiac at 6 p.m. PT.
The weekend wraps Sunday, Feb. 15, with UC Davis at 12 p.m. PT.
All games will be played at Eller Media Stadium and streamed on YouTube.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
