UNLV roundup: Maddux’s arm, Smith’s bat fuel baseball win

Max Smith hit a two-run homer in UNLV’s three-run fourth inning and an RBI single in the Rebels’ three-run fifth, and Chase Maddux took a three-hit shutout into the eighth inning of a 7-1 win over Air Force in a Mountain West baseball game Sunday in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Bryson Stott had two doubles and two RBIs and scored three runs for UNLV (19-15, 7-8), which held a 10-8 edge in hits and took the final two games of the three-game set with the Falcons (13-15, 5-5).

Maddux (2-2) held Air Force to one run on five hits and no walks in seven-plus innings, with one strikeout. He pitched to two batters in the eighth, yielding a home run to Cole Blatchford and a single to Drew Wiss, before Paul Richy entered in relief.

Richy worked the final two innings, allowing three hits and no walks while striking out one.

Dillon Johnson went 2-for-5 with an RBI double in the third for the Rebels, who scored six runs on seven hits and one walk in 4 1/3 innings off starter Ethan Nichols (2-3).

Ashton Easley had two doubles and Alexander Pup two singles for the Falcons.

SOFTBALL

At Eller Media Stadium, Hayleigh Galvan hit a two-out, three-run homer in the seventh inning to rally Fresno State to a 5-3 victory over the Rebels.

UNLV (26-9, 7-4 Mountain West) was dealt a second straight loss for the first time this season, and the Bulldogs (24-12, 3-6) won for the ninth time in their past 10 games.

Danielle Lung (10-1) pitched the final four innings for Fresno State, limiting UNLV to one unearned run on five hits and two walks.

Samantha Diaz opened the scoring with a two-run double in the second inning and finished 3-for-4 for the Rebels, who held a 10-9 edge in hits.

But they left 10 runners on base en route to losing for the second time this season when scoring first and for the first time when leading after four innings. UNLV had been 22-1 when scoring first and 22-0 when leading after four.

Denise Armendariz went 2-for-3, and Myranda Bueno had a double and scored a run for the Rebels, who scored two runs on five hits over three innings off starter Danielle East.

UNLV starter Jenny Bressler (16-4) went the distance, allowing four earned runs on nine hits and two walks. The freshman’s five strikeouts gave her 100 for the season.

WOMEN’S TENNIS

At San Jose, Calif., En-Pei Huang won in singles and was part of a doubles victory for the Rebels (13-6, 4-0 Mountain West) in their 4-0 triumph over San Jose State (7-7, 0-2).

Huang won 6-3, 6-3 at No. 3 singles and teamed with Aiwen Zhu for a 6-3 victory at No. 1 doubles as UNLV notched its fourth straight shutout win.

Huang and Zhu, ranked 48th nationally in doubles, improved to 21-8 this season. Zhu, who ranks third in program history in doubles victories with 86, was two points from winning at No. 1 singles when play was halted with the Rebels having clinched the team win.

Anna Bogoslavets won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 4 singles, Jovana Kenic won 6-2, 6-3 at No. 5 singles, and Connie Li and Samantha Li teamed for a 6-4 victory at No. 2 doubles.

MEN’S TENNIS

At Fertitta Tennis Complex, Olle Thestrup won a three-set singles match and was part of a doubles victory for the Rebels (13-5, 2-2 Mountain West) in their 4-3 loss to Fresno State (13-9, 3-1).

Thestrup won 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 at No. 2 singles and teamed with Jordan Sauer for a 6-2 victory at No. 2 doubles, but UNLV fell to 12-2 at home and saw its four-match win streak end.

Freshman Tom Ciszewski won 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 at No. 6 singles to improve to 11-1. Sauer lost 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-3 at No. 3 singles.

Sophomore Clayton Alenik teamed with Eric Samuelsson for a 6-3 win at No. 1 doubles but was absent from the singles lineup because of illness. Alenik is a team-best 12-1 in dual matches this season.

WOMEN’S GOLF

At Napa, Calif., sophomore Polly Mack shot a 2-over-par 74, four strokes behind the leaders, and the Rebels were 14th after the first round of the three-round, 18-team Silverado Showdown.

San Jose State paced the field at 1-over 289, with second-ranked Southern California, ninth-ranked UCLA and 16th-ranked Northwestern tied for second, two shots back. Stanford rounded out the top five at 294.

UNLV was at 15-over 303, with Mack leading the way in a tie for 24th in the 93-golfer field. Senior Elizabeth Prior was tied for 33rd at 3-over 75, senior Shannon Oh was tied for 44th at 76, sophomore Cathy Liu was tied for 66th at 78, and freshman Veronica Joels was tied for 86th at 82.

Brooke Riley and Stephanie Liu, both from Northwestern, shared the individual lead at 2-under 70, with seven players tied at 71.