LAS VEGAS – San Diego State fell victim to eight extra-base hits on Thursday, including three home runs, as UNLV scored 10 unanswered runs to key its 12-5 victory in the opener of a three-game Mountain West series at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
Despite maintaining a slim 12-11 advantage in hits, the Rebels (35-19, 20-8 MW) cashed in on their opportunities thanks to a trio of long balls, along with three doubles and a pair of triples to maintain a two-game lead over Nevada in the race for the regular-season conference title with two contests remaining.
The Wolf Pack (28-22, 18-10 MW) were 13-10 winners over Fresno State at home on Thursday.
Conversely, the Aztecs (17-37, 9-19 MW) were held scoreless over the final six innings en route to their seventh straight defeat at the hands of UNLV.
SDSU trailed 2-1 after the Rebels' Edarian Williams led off the bottom of the second with a solo blast to center field. However, the Scarlet and Black responded with four runs on five straight hits in the top of the third.
After Tyler Glowacki's lead-off single, Irvin Weems belted his fourth homer over the batter's eye in center, while Caden Miller followed with a single and a stolen base. Moments later, Poncho Ruiz and Cole Carrigg roped consecutive RBIs to give the visitors a 5-2 advantage.
Weems, a prep star at Durango High School in Las Vegas, enjoyed a stellar return to his hometown, finishing with a 3-for-5 effort at the plate with two RBIs and a pair of runs scored. The Aztec freshman also led off the game with a single to left center and stole second before racing home when Miller reached on a throwing error.
In addition to Weems' production, Carrigg, Ruiz and Miller accounted for two hits apiece.
UNLV trimmed the margin to 5-4 in its half of the third when Diego Alarcon led off with a double and Hank Zeisler followed with the first of his two homers on the night.
Zeisler crafted a 4-for-5 performance with four RBIs and three runs scored, the latter of which tied Alarcon (3 hits) and Williams (2 hits) for game-high honors. The Rebel first baseman later went yard to lead off the seventh.
UNLV took the lead for good in the fifth when Alarcon doubled home Austin Kryszczuk, who drew a leadoff walk, while Gianni Horvat ripped a bases-clearing triple with two outs, plating Alarcon, Zeisler and Williams after the latter two reached on a fielder's choice and walk, respectively.
The Rebels gave themselves some separation in the seventh after Zeisler's long ball, as Joey Walls walked and promptly circled the bases on Williams' triple to right center.
UNLV closed out the scoring in the eighth when Alarcon touched home on Walls' single through the right side.
Despite allowing all five SDSU runs on 10 hits, starter Josh Sharman (4-4) earned the victory after pitching 6 1/3 innings without a walk to go with a trio of strikeouts, while relievers Connor Woods (0.2 IP, 1 H) and Sam Simon (2.0 IP, 1 BB) followed in succession.
On the flip side, senior Jacob Flores (1-5) absorbed the loss in his final collegiate start after yielding eight runs on seven hits and three walks against five strikeouts in five innings of work. Ricky Tibbett (2.2 IP, 4 R) and Eldridge Armstrong III (0.1 IP) took over in relief of Flores, respectively.
The Aztecs resume their series with the Rebels on Friday, starting at 6:05 p.m. PT.
UNLV Powers Past Aztecs, 12-5
