LAS VEGAS – The Western Michigan baseball team fell into an early hole it could not get out of in a 9-5 loss at UNLV on Tuesday night.   
 
FINAL SCORE: UNLV 9, Western Michigan 5
LOCATION: Earl E. Wilson Stadium (Las Vegas, Nev.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (2-5) | UNLV (6-2)
W: Reese Lueck (1-1) | L: Joey Wizceb (0-1)
 
UNLV picked up a run in the second and five in the third to grab a 6-0 advantage.
 
Western Michigan got its first run of the evening in the fifth. After Tanner Mally was hit by a pitch, Drew Howard doubled to put a pair in scoring position. Michael Maloney then plated Mally with a sacrifice fly. Mally and Howard each had three hits for the Brown and Gold, with Mally reaching in all five of his plate appearances.
 
The Rebels restored their six-run lead with a tally in the home half of the fifth frame.
 
WMU pulled a pair back in the sixth, with an error and RBI single by Diego Pena closing the gap to 7-3.
 
UNLV answered again, plating a pair in the bottom of the seventh.
 
In the eighth, the Broncos loaded the bases with two outs, and Howard delivered a two-run single. The Rebels retired the next batter to keep WMU from moving any closer, and held on from there for the win.
 
The Broncos and Rebels match up again on Wednesday afternoon. First pitch is set for 3:05 pm.