UNLV kept its bats rolling Sunday.
Cooper Sheff launched two home runs and drove in four runs as the Hustlin’ Rebels beat Northwestern 10-5 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, improving to 12-5 on the season.
UNLV scored in four different innings and piled up 10 hits while pulling away late behind a three-run sixth and another three-run burst in the seventh.
Sheff supplies the power
Sheff delivered the biggest swings of the day.
After UNLV scratched across two runs in the second, Sheff broke the game open in the fourth with a two-run homer to left-center that pushed the Rebels ahead 4-1.
Northwestern trimmed the lead to one in the fifth, but UNLV answered immediately.
Ayden Garcia opened the sixth with a solo homer to right. Two batters later, Sheff struck again, blasting his second two-run shot of the game to left to extend the lead to 7-3.
Sheff finished 3-for-4 with two homers and four RBIs, leading the Rebels’ offensive charge.
Rebels add insurance late
UNLV created breathing room in the seventh with another rally.
Reggie Bussey was hit by a pitch to start the inning, Marcos Rosales followed with an RBI double, and Drew Barragan ripped an RBI triple to center. Jonny Rodriguez capped the inning with an RBI single to make it 10-4.
Garcia added two hits and two runs scored, while Barragan and Rosales each drove in a run as part of the Rebels’ balanced attack.
Bullpen holds the line
Felix Ong earned the win for UNLV, working five innings while allowing three runs on six hits with three strikeouts.
LJ Manning followed with two innings of relief, and Colton Sundloff and Jacob Gomberg each threw a scoreless inning to close it out.
UNLV finished with 10 runs on 10 hits and no errors.
Up next
UNLV returns home Tuesday to face UC Riverside at 2:05 p.m. PT at Earl E. Wilson Stadium in Las Vegas. The game 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.
