UNLV finished off a Friday sweep with a 7-2 win over North Dakota State in the nightcap after opening the day with a 13-5 run-rule victory over Utah Tech, pushing the Rebels back to .500 at 11-11.
The Rebels did the damage early, then leaned on a steady effort in the circle to close it out. Charelle Aki delivered the biggest swing of the night, blasting a four-run home run in the third inning that turned a scoreless game into a 4-0 lead.
That swing came after Taryn Calderon singled, Keyannah Chavez walked and Bri Williams drew a free pass to load the bases. Aki drove the first pitch she saw deep to right, and UNLV suddenly had control.
Aki finished 2-for-3 with four RBI and a run scored.
Three more in the fourth
The Scarlet & Gray added on right away in the next inning.
Natalie Turner opened the fourth with a single, and Mantha Hatzenbeller followed with an infield hit. Lyla Gonzalez then ripped a two-run double to left to make it 6-0.
Later in the frame, Cook brought home another run on a ground-ball double play, scoring Gonzalez for a 7-0 cushion.
That support was enough for Yanina Sherwood, who worked five innings to earn the win and improve to 4-5. Sherwood allowed one run on eight hits and struck out one. Raegen Everett handled the final two innings, giving up one run on two hits with one strikeout.
North Dakota State collected 10 hits, but UNLV limited the damage and never let the Bison put together the one big inning they needed.
Cook shuts the door on a rally
The Bison finally broke through in the fifth on an RBI single by Taylinn Warren, then added a solo homer from Morgan Zimmerman in the sixth.
Still, the biggest defensive moment belonged to Rachel Cook in the fifth.
With North Dakota State threatening, Cook made a diving play at third on a rocket down the line, then tagged the bag herself to end the rally and keep UNLV firmly in front. It was the kind of momentum-saving play that matched the tone of the night.
Calderon went 2-for-3 and scored once. Turner reached base three times, went 1-for-1 with two walks and scored once. Gonzalez added the two-run double, while Hatzenbeller scored and helped spark the fourth-inning push.
Back to even
The win pushed UNLV back to .500 overall and capped a bounce-back night for the home side.
After falling behind 5-4 earlier in the day against Utah Tech before rallying to win, the Rebels followed with a cleaner, more complete finish in the nightcap. UNLV scored seven runs on eight hits, drew six walks and got the timely swing it needed from Aki.
Up next
The Rebels continue the Red & Black Classic on Saturday with LMU at 3 p.m. PT, then face North Dakota State again at 6 p.m. PT. All games are set for Eller Media Stadium and will stream 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.
