UNLV got the bounce-back it needed Thursday night at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
After Monday’s wild loss to CSU Bakersfield, the Rebels answered with a louder start and a cleaner finish. UNLV beat New Mexico 15-10 in the opener of a three-game Mountain West series. The Rebels scored 11 runs in the second and third innings, got RBI from eight of nine starters, and found enough late outs to keep the game from spinning away.
Fast answer after early punch
New Mexico struck first in the second when Brodey Williams launched a three-run homer to left. For a moment, it looked like UNLV might be headed for another long night. Instead, the Rebels answered right away.
Jayden Hertel got UNLV on the board with an RBI single. Jack Salmon followed with a two-run single to tie it. Marcos Rosales then lifted a sacrifice fly to center to put the Rebels ahead 4-3. An inning later, UNLV blew it open.
Nin Burns II led off the third with a solo homer. Salmon ripped an RBI double down the right-field line. Gunnar Myro added a run-scoring single. Jonny Rodriguez brought home another with a sacrifice fly. A passed ball added one more run, and the Rebels had a 9-3 lead.
Hertel and Salmon drove the offense
Hertel and Salmon were in the middle of everything. Hertel went 3-for-4 with four RBI, a homer, a sacrifice fly and three runs scored. Salmon finished 3-for-3 with a double, three RBI and a walk.
Cooper Sheff also had a big night. He went 3-for-3, walked once, tripled and scored three runs. Ayden Garcia scored three times and later crushed a two-run homer in the seventh. UNLV did not lean on just one or two hitters. Eight different starters drove in at least one run, and that balance helped the Rebels survive the middle innings.
New Mexico made it a game
For all the early offense, this one was not clean. UNLV starter Carson Lane settled down after the Williams homer, but the fifth inning got away fast.
New Mexico scored six runs in the frame and cut the lead from 11-3 to 11-9. Khalil Walker’s two-run single was the biggest hit, and the Lobos also used walks and traffic to keep the pressure on. What looked like a runaway suddenly became a real game.
The bullpen held this time
That was the big difference from Monday. After Lane and Bland helped New Mexico climb back in, LJ Manning and Jase Evangelista restored order.
Manning gave UNLV two innings and allowed one run while earning his first win in the Scarlet and Gray. Evangelista followed with two scoreless innings to close it out. Together, Manning and Evangelista covered the final four innings and allowed one run. After late-inning trouble earlier in the week, that mattered as much as any hit.
Garcia made sure of it in the seventh. After Luke Mansy homered to trim the lead to 13-10, Garcia answered with a two-run shot to left. That pushed the lead back to five and gave UNLV breathing room again.
Balanced damage all night
UNLV and New Mexico both finished with 13 hits, but the Rebels spread out their damage better. Hertel drove in four. Salmon had three RBI. Garcia homered and drove in two. Burns homered. Sheff reached four times and scored three runs. Rosales and Rodriguez each added sacrifice flies. UNLV also took four hit-by-pitches and forced New Mexico to throw 159 pitches.
For the Lobos, Williams drove in four with his early homer and a bases-loaded walk. Mansy went 3-for-3, homered and scored three runs. But after the fifth-inning rally, New Mexico could not keep matching UNLV’s offense.
Mountain West picture
The win moved UNLV to 3-4 in Mountain West play, still seventh in the early conference standings but within reach of a climb. San Diego State and Air Force share the top spot at 5-2, while Nevada sits just ahead at 6-3. New Mexico and San José State are both at .500 or better, so this series gives the Rebels a chance to make up ground fast.
Up next
UNLV stays home for the second game of the series against New Mexico on Friday at 6:05 p.m. PT 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.
