Las Vegas got offense again on Sunday. It also got a reminder that baseball can turn a good weekend sideways in a hurry.
UNLV dropped the Mountain West series finale 18-8 to San Jose State, with the game getting away in the last two innings after the Rebels had worked their way back into it.
A bad second inning that stuck to everything
The game flipped early, and it stayed heavy. UNLV ran into trouble in the second inning, and one mistake turned into four runs fast. From there, the Rebels spent the first half of the day chasing.
A spark, finally, and the stadium woke up
UNLV’s bats showed life in the fifth. Nicky Garritano came through with a double, Marcos Rosales followed with an RBI single, and Drew Barragan launched a two-run homer to left. It cut the deficit to 5-3 and brought some real energy back into Earl E. Wilson.
The sixth was the fork in the road
UNLV answered again in the bottom of the sixth. Jonny Rodriguez crushed a solo homer to right, then Garritano and Rosales added RBI hits. It was 12-6, and the game was messy but still technically reachable.
Thirteen runs later, it was over
That’s where it ended. UNLV gave up seven runs in the sixth and then six more in the seventh, and the finale turned from “sweep opportunity” into a run-rule scramble to the finish line.
Back-to-back, because why not
UNLV didn’t roll over. Cooper Sheff hit a solo shot in the seventh, and Rodriguez followed him with another homer to right on the very next at-bat. It was the loudest moment of the afternoon, even if it came with the scoreboard already leaning the wrong way.
Vegas-worthy numbers
Barragan went 2-for-3 with a double, a homer, two RBI, and a walk. Garritano went 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI after entering early and staying in. Rosales finished 2-for-5 with two RBI. Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with two home runs and two RBI, with his second and third homers of the season coming back-to-back. UNLV totaled 12 hits and scored in three different innings, but the late damage on the mound decided the day.
Up next
UNLV continues its homestand Monday, March 30 at 2:05 p.m. PT vs CSU Bakersfield at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
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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.
