UNLV’s late-season surge ended fast Thursday afternoon in Mesa.
The No. 6 seed Hustlin’ Rebels fell 17-2 to No. 3 Air Force in seven innings in the opening round of the Credit Union 1 Mountain West Championship at Sloan Park, closing the season at 30-25.
Falcons Jump Early
Air Force wasted no time turning the rematch into another rough afternoon for UNLV. T.J. Oster opened the bottom of the first with a solo homer, Walker Zapp added an RBI single and Tripp Garrish stole home as part of a pressure-filled inning that gave the Falcons a 3-0 lead.
The Falcons added two more in the second on Zapp’s two-run ground-rule double, then broke the game open in the third when Landon Boyd hit a three-run homer to center to make it 8-0.
Rebels Never Found Air
UNLV’s offense, one of the best in the Mountain West all season, never found the big inning it needed. Cooper Sheff put the Rebels on the board in the fourth with a solo homer to left, his ninth of the season.
The Rebels had a chance to keep the inning moving after Gunnar Myro and Reggie Bussey followed with singles, but UNLV left both aboard. Bussey finished 2-for-3, while Drew Barragan and Myro each added a hit.
Air Force Keeps Pouring It On
Air Force answered Sheff’s homer with two more runs in the fourth, then added a solo shot by Luke Elmore in the fifth. Boyd delivered the knockout blow in the sixth with his second three-run homer of the game, giving him six RBI.
The Falcons finished with 14 hits, four home runs and 11 stolen bases. They scored in every inning they batted.
One Last Run
UNLV scored its final run in the seventh when Marcos Rosales walked and Connor Tallakson singled him home. It was a small final spark in a game that had already gotten away.
Parker Dillhoff took the loss after allowing three runs in the first. Jase Evangelista, Carson Lane and Reese Lueck followed as Air Force kept pressure on throughout.
Season Closes at 30 Wins
UNLV finished 30-25 overall, 11-13 in Mountain West play and 30-37 all-time in the MW Championship. The Rebels went 19-13 at home, 9-10 on the road and 2-2 at neutral sites.
The ending was difficult, but the season still delivered a 30-win campaign, a program strikeout record and a lineup that grew into one of the Mountain West’s most dangerous groups. Thanks to the Hustlin’ Rebels for an entertaining season filled with late rallies, big swings and meaningful baseball deep into May.
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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.
