Drew Barragan dragged UNLV all the way back into it Wednesday afternoon.
He tripled in two runs to ignite the rally, then crushed a game-tying homer two innings later. Still, Northern Colorado landed the last punch in the 10th, and the Rebels fell 9-7 at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
UNLV moved to 10-4. Northern Colorado earned its first win and improved to 1-13.
A six-run hole got deeper
Northern Colorado scored first in the opening inning. Brandon Sanchez walked, stole third, and came home on Logan Pruski’s RBI single to left-center.
Then the Bears broke it open in the fourth. Mac Dawsey singled in a run, Sanchez added another RBI single, and Jaden Stone followed with an RBI single through the right side to make it 4-0.
Northern Colorado kept stacking damage in the fifth and sixth. Ethan Fillinger doubled in a run in the fifth, and Easton Bryant’s RBI single in the sixth pushed the lead to 6-0.
Yates Bland took the early innings for UNLV. He went 4.0 innings and allowed four earned runs on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
The rally finally arrives
UNLV’s offense was quiet until the sixth. That changed fast.
Gunnar Myro doubled to start the inning. After that, Barragan ripped a two-run triple to left-center, scoring Myro and Jayden Hertel. Ayden Garcia followed with an RBI groundout, and the deficit was suddenly 6-3.
The game flipped again in the seventh. Jack Salmon walked, and Gavin Taylor singled. Then Myro punched a shallow single to center that brought in Salmon and Taylor.
Next came the break UNLV needed. A fielding error in center allowed Myro to circle the bases. The Rebels had erased the six-run hole, tying it 6-6.
However, Northern Colorado answered in the eighth. Pease, Sam reached, and Stone doubled to right-center to drive in a run. The Bears were back in front, 7-6.
UNLV answered immediately. Barragan homered to deep left on an 0-2 pitch in the bottom of the eighth, tying it 7-7.
Extras turn on walks and one swing
UNLV had a shot in the ninth. Marcos Rosales singled with two outs, and Barragan was intentionally walked. But the Rebels could not cash it in.
In the 10th, Northern Colorado created the opening with two walks. Then a wild pitch moved both runners up. Stone came through again, lining a two-run single through the right side for the eventual game-winner.
Jacob Gomberg took the loss after allowing two runs in 1.0 inning. He walked two, struck out three, and threw two wild pitches.
Northern Colorado closer Jax Pfister finished it. He struck out the side in the bottom of the 10th to lock down the save.
Barragan led UNLV with a 2-for-4 day, a triple, a homer, and three RBI. Myro went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Rosales reached five times, going 2-for-2 with three walks.
What Stan Stolte said
“The game of baseball is incredible,” head coach Stan Stolte said. “It punishes the team, then walks lead-off hitters, hits guys, doesn’t make plays defensively, gets picked off and has bad at-bats in crucial situations. And rewards teams that get key tough two-out hits and plays cleaner baseball.”
Up next
UNLV heads to Minneapolis for the Cambria Classic at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Rebels open the trip against Minnesota on Friday, March 6 at 5 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.
