UNLV had enough offense to win Sunday, but not enough stops, and that was the difference in the rubber match.
The Rebels dropped a 9-8 decision to Washington State at Earl E. Wilson Stadium, losing the series despite pounding out 16 hits. UNLV kept answering at the plate, but three Cougar home runs and a few costly missed chances kept the Rebels from finishing the comeback.
Long ball hurt UNLV again
Washington State did not need a huge hit total to control the game. The Cougars finished with 12 hits, but they did most of their damage with power.
Ryan Skjonsby homered twice and drove in two runs, while Dustin Robinson also went deep. Max Hartman added a triple and two RBI, giving Washington State the kind of extra-base impact that changed innings fast. UNLV had more hits, but Washington State got more out of its loudest swings.
Rebels had plenty of offense
UNLV kept producing from top to bottom, which is what made the loss sting. Jonny Rodriguez led the way, going 4-for-5 with a homer and four RBI. Cooper Sheff also had four hits, while Ayden Garcia finished with two hits, including a home run, and drove in two.
Reggie Bussey and Gunnar Myro added two hits each as the Rebels kept creating traffic. Six different starters had either multi-hit games or drove in runs, and UNLV did more than enough offensively to stay in it all afternoon.
Missed chances changed the game
The problem was not getting runners on. The problem was finishing enough of those chances.
UNLV hit into three double plays, and those outs quietly changed the shape of the day. The Rebels kept putting pressure on Washington State, but too many innings ended before the big hit arrived. That is the kind of thing that gets magnified in a one-run loss, especially when the offense already gave you 16 hits.
Pitching never fully settled
UNLV never really found a clean rhythm on the mound. Washington State kept applying pressure, and the Rebels never got enough shutdown innings to fully flip the game.
That was the difference from Saturday night. In the 12-3 win, UNLV controlled the pace once it took the lead. On Sunday, Washington State kept punching back and forced the Rebels to play uphill too often.
Series takeaway
UNLV leaves the weekend at 23-17 overall and 6-9 in Mountain West play, now on a one-game skid. The Rebels are 15-10 at home, 6-6 on the road, and 2-1 in neutral games.
The offense showed it can carry games, but the margin remains thin when pitching and situational execution are not consistent. That balance will matter even more with a top conference team waiting next.
Up next
UNLV heads on the road for a key Mountain West series at first-place Nevada in Reno, with games set for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The matchup gives the Rebels a direct shot at closing ground in the standings, but it also raises the level of difficulty against the current conference leader.
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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.
