The Rebels nearly erased a five-run deficit Sunday afternoon, but UC Davis held on for a 10-8 win in the Desert Classic finale at Eller Media Stadium.
UNLV piled up 13 hits and climbed all the way back within one in the sixth inning. However, a solo home run in the seventh gave UC Davis breathing room, and the Rebels’ final push came up short.
Chavez, Cook drive the comeback
Keyannah Chavez and Rachel Cook led the Rebels’ offense.
Chavez went 3-for-4 with two doubles, four RBI and a run scored. Cook reached base in all four plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with two walks, a triple, an RBI and three runs.
Lyla Gonzalez and Taryn Calderon added two hits apiece, and Presley Barnes delivered a key RBI double during the fifth-inning rally.
Early hole, then a charge back
UC Davis struck first in the opening inning, scoring an unearned run. The Aggies then added four more in the third to take a 5-0 lead.
The Rebels answered in the bottom of the third. Gonzalez singled, Cook walked, and Chavez ripped a two-run double to right to cut it to 5-2.
UC Davis pushed the margin to 8-2 in the fifth, but the Rebels’ response was immediate.
Calderon doubled and moved to third on a throwing error. Cook walked, and Charelle Aki singled to left-center to score Calderon. Chavez followed with her second two-run double of the day, bringing home Cook and pinch runner Gwyn Burnett to make it 8-5. Barnes then doubled to left-center to drive in Chavez and cut it to 8-6.
One-run game in the sixth
UC Davis made it 9-6 in the sixth when a run scored on a wild pitch.
The Rebels came right back. Gonzalez singled to lead off, and Cook later tripled to left to score Gonzalez. Aki followed with a sacrifice fly to left to bring Cook home and pull the Rebels within one at 9-8.
UC Davis added a solo home run in the seventh to make it 10-8.
In the bottom of the seventh, with one out and a runner on, Diamond Sefe singled to right-center to put the tying run aboard. The Rebels were then retired on the final two outs.
Notes
The Rebels finished with 13 hits, including four doubles and a triple, and got multi-hit days from Gonzalez and Calderon, who also stole a base along with Cook. Gonzalez scored twice, and Chavez extended her streaks to three straight games with a hit and six straight games reaching base.
Up next
The Rebels stay in Las Vegas to host the Rebel Classic from Thursday, Feb. 19 through Sunday, Feb. 22. The weekend field includes Idaho State, Merrimack, Utah Valley and Valparaiso.
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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.
