UNLV Baseball Weekend Recap: Opening Weekend in Vegas

Baseball season is upon us and the Rebels started off their first series at home in Las Vegas. They played four games against Michigan State during the weekend of February 18-20. Saturday the 19th was a double-header.

Friday the 18th (Game 1)

The first game for the Rebels started off well. They score the first run of the season in the bottom of the 1st inning with a single from LF Austin Kryszczuk that scored RF Rylan Charles after he led the inning off with a double. The Spartans answered back in the top of the 5th with a solo home run by DH Jack Frank, tying the game at one a piece. However, the Rebels’ DH Henry Ziesler scored Charles and advanced 3B Diego Alarcon to third on a base hit to right field. Alarcon then was able to come into score after a throwing error from the right fielder. Ziesler was able to make it to second after the error. Ziesler later came into score in the same inning after a CF James Gamble single. After the bottom of the 5th the score was 4-1, Rebels. There were no more runs scored until a sac fly scored Frank in the top of the 9th to make the score 4-2. The game ended at that score of 4-2, Rebels win. SP Josh Ibarra got the win and RP Hayden Neirman got the save for the Rebels.

Game Stats

Pitching -

• Josh Ibarra - 5.0 IP, 4 K, 3 BB, 5 H, ER, Win
• Nick Rupp - 2.2 IP, 4 K, H
• Hayden Neirman - 1.1 IP, K, 2 H, ER, Save

Hitting -

• RF Rylan Charles - 2-5, 2B, 2 R, SB
• LF Austin Kryszczuk - 2-4, RBI
• DH Henry Ziesler - 1-3, RBI, R, BB
• CF James Gamble - 2-3, RBI, BB

Saturday the 19th (Game 2)

The first game of double-header Saturday for the Rebels was a high scoring affair. The Rebels started off like the last game with being the first to score. They did it in the bottom of the second with a double down the line from C Cole Andavolgyi scoring RF Joey Wells, then Andavolgyi scored off an error by the Spartan 3B. The Spartans tied the game in the 3rd after a two-run bomb then took the lead in the 5th after two errors scored two runs for the Spartans. In the bottom of the same inning 3B Diego Alarcon hit a two-run homer to get the game back to a tie, 4-4. The next inning, the Rebels scored two more runs. SS Gianni Horvat tripled, scoring one, then he was knocked in by a sac fly to center by CF Rylan Charles. The Rebels could not stop the Spartans from scoring more runs after a 5 run 7th inning put the Spartans up 9-6. To top it all off the Spartans scored again in the 9th top make it a 10-6 final score.

Game Stats

Pitching -

• Noah Beal - 4.1 IP, 3 K, 3 BB, 3 H, 3 ER
• Noah Mattera - 0.2 IP, 2 K, BB, H, R (unearned)
• Troy Balko - 2.0 IP, 2 K, 3 BB, 3 H, 5 ER, Loss
• Braxton Brushke - 1.2 IP, 2 H
• Troy Pohlmann - 0.1 IP, K, 2 BB, H, ER

Hitting -

• CF Rylan Charles - 1-4, RBI, R, SF
• 3B Diego Alarcon - 2-5, HR, 2 RBIs, R
• DH/1B Henry Ziesler - 1-4, 2B, BB
• RF Joey Wells - 1-4, R
• C Cole Andavolgyi - 1-2, 2B, RBI, R
• C Eric Bigani - 1-2, R
• SS Gianni Horvat - 2-4, 3B, RBI, R

Saturday the 19th (Game 3)

The second game in double-header Saturday was just like the first, high scoring. The Spartans started off hot, scoring five runs before the 4th. The Rebels first runs came in the bottom of the 5th from RF Rylan Charles after he doubled bringing in SS Gianni Horvat and C Eric Bigani. MSU scored two more runs in the 6th. In the 7th, Charles hit a solo shot bringing in one more run. After seven innings, the score was 7-3 Spartans. The Spartans went on to have a five run 8th to put them up 12-3. There were three Spartan homers in that inning. In the bottom of the 8th Jordan Andrade, who was a PH and 2B replacement for Edarian Williams, hit a solo shot. PH Enrique Bennett reached first on a wild pitch after striking out in the 9th. That same wild-pitch scored Charles. Then Bennett scored on another wild pitch making the score 12-6. The game ended there in another home loss for UNLV.

Game Stats

Pitching -

• Nolan George - 5.0 IP, 2 K, 2 BB, 5 H, 4 ER (1 unearned), Loss
• Jimmy Gamboa - 3.0 IP, 2 K, 9 H, 7 ER
• Hunter Katschke - 1.0 IP, K

Hitting -

• RF Rylan Charles - 3-5, HR, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R
• PH Enrique Bennett - 0-1, R
• 1B Henry Zeisler - 1-5, 2B
• PH/2B Jordan Andrade - 1-2, HR, RBI, R, BB
• PH/CF Santino Panaro - 2-3, 2B
• C Eric Bigani - 1-2, R
• DH Jason Sharman - 4 BB

Sunday the 20th (Game 4)

Another high scoring affair in the last game of the series between the Rebels and the Spartans ended in another Rebel loss. The Spartans started with a five-run top of the 1st was followed by three RBI singles by RF Jason Sharman, CF Rylan Charles, and 3B Diego Alarcon in the bottom of the 2nd cutting the five-run deficit to only two. 1B Henry Zeisler then hit a solo shot in the 3rd to make the game 5-4. With one on and no one out in the bottom of the 5th, DH Cole Andavolgyi hit a two-run, go-ahead home run. After the bomb, the Rebels had the bases loaded with 1 out and Charles hit into a fielder’s choice. It scored one run. After the 5th, Rebels led 7-5. Those were the last runs of the game for the Rebels as the Spartans scored one run in the 6th, three in the 8th and two in the 9th to make the final score 11-7 Michigan State.

Game Stats

Pitching -

• Josh Sharman - 3.0 IP, BB, 5 H 3 ER (2 unearned)
• Joey Acosta - 2.0 IP, 2 K, 2 BB
• Peyton Fuller - 2.1 IP, 4 K, 7 H, 4 ER, Loss
• Nick Rupp - 0.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R
• Noah Mattera - 1.0 IP

Hitting -

• CF Rylan Charles - 3-5, 2B, 2 RBIs, BB, SB
• 3B Diego Alarcon - 1-3, RBI, BB
• 1B Henry Zeisler - 1-3, HR, RBI, 2 R, 2 BB
• DH Cole Andavolgyi - 1-3, HR, 2 RBIs, 2 R, 2 BB
• 2B Edarian Williams - 1-4, R
• RF Jason Sharman - 1-3, RBI, R, 2 BB

Even though the Rebels put up a lot of runs, they were not able to stop the hitting power of Michigan State. It is hard to beat an opponent when they put up 10+ runs in three straight games. The Rebels were suppose to play Dixie State on Tuesday, February 22nd, but that game was postponed. They go to San Diego this next weekend (February 25-27) for the Tony Gwynn Classic Tournament where they will play University of San Diego (USD), Hawaii, then USD again.

The player of the series for UNLV was OF Rylan Charles who had a .474 Batting Average with 9 Hits (including 4 2B and a HR), 6 RBIs, and 5 Runs.