Reggie Bussey and Gunnar Myro made sure UNLV stayed hot at the plate Tuesday.
Bussey went 3-for-5 with three RBI, and Myro went 3-for-4 with four RBI as the Rebels held on for an 11-10 win over UC Riverside at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. As a result, UNLV improved to 13-5 and won its third straight game. The Rebels also reached double digits for the third straight contest.
UC Riverside fell to 4-13.
Early mistakes, quick answers
UC Riverside jumped in front in the first, and it was a messy start. A fielding error and a throwing error helped produce two unearned runs, including a run that scored on a wild pitch.
However, UNLV answered right away. Marcos Rosales walked, and Drew Barragan ripped an RBI triple to deep center to make it 2-1.
Then the Rebels took control in the second. Jonny Rodriguez singled and moved up on a wild pitch. Jayden Hertel walked, and Myro singled up the middle to bring home Rodriguez.
Soon after, Bussey drilled a two-run double to right-center to score Hertel and Myro. UNLV led 4-2.
Myro’s three-run swing inning
UNLV broke it open in the third.
Ayden Garcia singled, and Rodriguez walked. Hertel walked again to load the bases. Then Myro doubled to center for three RBI, scoring Gavin Taylor, Rodriguez, and Hertel.
Next, Bussey stayed on the attack with an RBI single to right that scored Myro. Bussey took second on an error, and UNLV carried an 8-2 lead out of the inning.
UNLV added three more in the sixth, and it came without a hit. Barragan walked, Burns walked, and Rodriguez was hit by a pitch.
Then three wild pitches did the damage. Barragan scored on the first one. Hertel drove in Burns with a groundout, and another wild pitch brought home Rodriguez to make it 11-2.
A late scare, then Gomberg finished it
UC Riverside made it a game fast in the seventh. Robert Pitts hit a grand slam to cut the lead to 11-6.
The Highlanders kept coming in the eighth. An RBI single and a bases-loaded walk trimmed it to 11-8.
In the ninth, UC Riverside pushed across two more runs on a throwing error that brought the tying run to third. Still, Jacob Gomberg locked it down for his third save. He worked the ninth and struck out two.
Reese Lueck earned the win and moved to 3-1. He threw 3.0 innings and allowed two unearned runs on one hit with two strikeouts.
Numbers that mattered
Bussey finished with a double and three RBI. Myro added a double and scored twice, plus he stole a base. Barragan went 3-for-4 with a triple and an RBI.
UNLV had 13 hits, drew seven walks, and used a pile of early offense to survive a wild finish.
Up next
UNLV opens Mountain West play with a three-game series at Air Force starting Friday afternoon.
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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.
