Cooper Sheff turned the opener into a statement in one swing.
Sheff cleared the bases with a three-run double in the first inning, and UNLV rode that early jolt to an 8-5 win over Santa Clara on Saturday afternoon at Schott Stadium. As a result, the Rebels improved to 9-2 and pushed their winning streak to seven games. Santa Clara dropped to 4-6.
UNLV scored eight runs on nine hits and did not commit an error. Santa Clara also finished with nine hits and no errors.
The swing inning
UNLV wasted no time. Marcos Rosales opened the game with a single. Then Drew Barragan doubled, and Nin Burns II walked to load the bases.
With two outs, Sheff ripped a double down the right-field line. All three runners scored, and UNLV had a 3-0 lead before Santa Clara recorded its final out of the inning.
The Rebels added another run in the fourth. Sheff doubled again, this time to left-center. After that, Gunnar Myro singled to center to score Sheff for a 4-0 cushion.
However, the fourth inning turned messy on the other side. Santa Clara pulled within 4-1 on Luke Devine’s RBI double. Then the Broncos closed the gap further when Devine scored on a wild pitch. Soon after, another wild pitch brought home Camden Sos, and UNLV’s lead was down to 4-3.
UNLV answered right back in the fifth. Barragan singled, and Ayden Garcia followed with a two-run homer to right-center. That made it 6-3, and it gave the Rebels breathing room again.
Numbers that mattered
Santa Clara made one more push in the sixth. Devine was hit by a pitch, and Matthew Tiendas doubled to put two in scoring position. After that, Ben Cleary punched a two-run single through the right side to cut the margin to 6-5.
At that point, UNLV’s bullpen steadied the game. Colton Sundloff earned the win after working 2.0 innings. He allowed two runs on two hits with two walks and one strikeout. Next, LJ Manning delivered 1.1 scoreless innings with two strikeouts and did not allow a hit or a walk.
In the ninth, UNLV finally created separation. Rosales was hit by a pitch, then stole second. Jonny Rodriguez walked, and Barragan walked to load the bases. Jayden Hertel pinch hit and lined a two-run single through the left side, scoring Rodriguez and Rosales for an 8-5 lead.
Jacob Gomberg closed it out for his second save. He threw the final 2.0 innings, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out three. In the bottom of the ninth, UNLV turned a double play behind him to wipe away Santa Clara’s last real threat.
Sheff finished 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI. Barragan went 2-for-4 with a double, two walks, and two runs scored. Myro added a 2-for-4 day with a double and an RBI.
Up next
UNLV goes for the series sweep Sunday, March 1 at 12 p.m. PT.
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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.
