LAS VEGAS – The UNLV baseball team (4-4) played their final game of the long weekend against no. 23-ranked Cincinnati (4-3), the Monday-night showdown being the fourth game between the two programs. The contest was the third-consecutive battle decided by only one run between the two programs, the Hustlin’ Rebels emerging on top with a final score of 7-6.

Although the Bearcats opened the game with a quick run and lead, the Rebels turned the tide shortly after in the bottom of the first inning. After Cooper Sheff and JP Hefft batted back-to-back singles, Brendan O’Sullivan blasted a three-run home run past the left-center wall near the scoreboard. Reese Lueck would hold Cincinnati across the next couple innings, forcing UC into four ground outs and two strikeouts in two innings with only allowing one hit. The Rebels would add to their lead in the bottom of the third inning, Elijah Rodriguez racing home on a one-out hit after stealing third base earlier in the inning.

Cincinnati gained the momentum in the top of the fourth, scoring five runs in the fourth and fifth inning to take the 6-4 lead. The Scarlet & Gray would tie the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, Cooper Sheff hitting his first home run of the season, the solo shot closing the gap 6-5. O’Sullivan would push a hard-hit ball past the third baseman later in the inning, the miss leading Hefft to round third base and cross home plate to tie the game at six runs each.

Sophomore pitcher Alex Overbay entered into the game on the mound in the top of the eighth inning, picking up a key strikeout to end the inning after Chase Gallegos tossed out a baserunner trying to steal second base. With the Rebels to bat, Dwight Allen II picked up a double to right-center field, advancing later to third base with a Gallegos sacrifice bunt. Allen II showed off his speed after taking advantage of a wild pitch by the Bearcats, surging home and scoring the go-ahead run.

Overbay would close the top of the ninth inning in one of his most impressive innings of his collegiate career; striking out all three batters to seal the Hustlin’ Rebel win. He’d catch the first and third batter swinging with the second looking, ending on a perfect 1-2-3 inning.

“Good to see us overcome some bad baseball plays early against a quality opponent” commented head coach Stan Stolte. “There’s still some cleaning up to do, but we’re happy with tonight’s win after a tough loss last night. Cooper Sheff and Dwight Allen II had big clutch hits late, then Alex Overbay came in and shut down a very dangerous offense.”


INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Sheff’s home run in the seventh inning was the first of his collegiate career.
– Lueck’s start on the mound was not only his first collegiate start, but also the junior’s longest outing as the Rebels’ pitcher.
– O’Sullivan’s three-run homer is the second-consecutive game he’s hit a ball out of the park.
– The Scarlet & Gray have taken down ranked opponents four times in the six games they’ve played during the 2025 season.

UP NEXT
The Rebels will start their preparation for the next four-game weekend heading their way, playing UW Milwaukee across three days. The first game is on Friday, Feb. 28 at 6:05 p.m. PT, the Saturday being a double-header and a standalone Sunday match. To get updates on all things Hustlin’ Rebels, links to the season’s games can be found on the team’s schedule page. You can also get live updates on how the Scarlet & Gray are faring on the team’s X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook and Instagram accounts.

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