STANFORD, Calif. – Hosting UNLV on a rain-soaked Monday afternoon, Stanford (1-3) dropped a 10-8 contest to the Rebels (3-1) despite scoring three runs in the ninth inning.
Trailing 10-5 headed into the ninth, Stanford got back-to-back singles from Owen Cobb and Temo Becerra, setting the table for a mammoth home run from sophomore Malcolm Moore – the first of the year for the slugger.
Unfortunately, the home run was the last of the production Stanford could muster, as left-hander Rylan Charles retired the next three batters to lock up the victory for UNLV.
The home run was the lone hit of the day for Moore, who finished with four RBIs after drawing a bases-loaded walk in a three-run second inning.
Sophomore Jimmy Nati continued his strong start to the 2024 season, going 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. Nati's two-RBI single with two outs in the third erased what was a 4-1 deficit headed into the inning.
After an offensive first two innings of play that saw the game knotted at four runs apiece, UNLV managed to settle things down behind the arm of reliever Joey Acosta. The graduate right-hander, who picked up the victory, dealt 6 1/3 innings, allowing one run on five hits and a walk while striking out three.
While Acosta settled into a groove on the mound, UNLV's bats settled into a rhythm as well, plating two in the fourth, three in the fifth and one more in the seventh to capture the 10-5 lead. The three-run fifth inning featured six Rebel hits – including RBI-singles from Santino Panaro, Chase Ditmar and Chase Gallegos hitting out the seven through nine spots in the order.
Freshman Ben Reimers, the first of four relievers used on Monday by the Cardinal, was saddled with the loss and dropped to 0-1 on the year after allowing two runs on two hits over two innings of work.
Ryan Speshyock, making his second career appearance, kept the Cardinal in the game, allowing just one run on two hits with two strikeouts over three relief innings.
The Cardinal will remain at home this weekend, welcoming Penn State to Sunken Diamond for a three-game series beginning Friday at 2:05 p.m.
GAME NOTES
- Stanford is 1-3 to begin a season for the first time since 2020 when it started 1-8
- Gavin Nalu made his collegiate debut on Monday, contributing a scoreless ninth inning
- Including M. Moore's home run, Stanford has now hit three homers over the first four games of the season
- Cort MacDonald (1-for-3) and Jimmy Nati (3-for-5) are now batting .429 and .412, respectively, for the season
- Trevor Haskins (1-for-5) extended his hit streak to four games dating back to the 2023 season
- Nati is the only Stanford hitter to collect a hit in each of the first four games of the season, while MacDonald, M. Moore (1-for-4) and Ethan Hott (1-for-4) have each hit safely in their last three contests.