LAS VEGAS (Interstat) — The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels erupted for seven runs in a chaotic bottom of the eighth inning, turning a tight contest into a rout and defeating the Bradley Braves 13-5 in nonconference baseball Saturday at Earl Wilson Stadium.

The game, played on February 21, 2026, was decisively swung by UNLV’s offensive explosion in the eighth, which capitalized on a cascade of Bradley miscues. What had been a 6-3 UNLV lead quickly spiraled out of control as the Braves committed two errors, issued two walks, two hit batters, and unleashed four wild pitches in the frame. Five of the seven runs scored were unearned.

The decisive inning rendered a strong start from Bradley’s Gavin Thompson a footnote. Thompson pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing two runs, none earned, on zero hits with five strikeouts. He was relieved by Calen Scheider with two outs in the fifth after Ayden Garcia’s RBI single cut the Bradley lead to 5-3.

UNLV had chipped away after falling into an early hole. Bradley struck first, scoring a run in the opening inning on an RBI single by Miller that plated Rezaei, who had reached on a single and advanced on an error. Michael Quick extended the lead in the second inning with a solo home run to deep right field.

The Runnin’ Rebels answered with two runs in their half of the first on a Garcia groundout and a Barragan sacrifice fly, both set up by a double from Rosales. The score held at 5-2 until the fifth, when Garcia’s single made it 5-3.

UNLV then took command in the seventh, tying the game at 5-5 on a two-run single by Garcia. They grabbed the lead for good later in the inning when Rosales scored on a wild pitch.

The pitching of Parker Dillhoff and Tate Foxson for UNLV proved critical in keeping Bradley at bay after the early outburst. Dillhoff, the top star for UNLV, earned the win with five innings of work, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out 10. Foxson was dominant in relief, striking out six over two hitless innings.

Bradley’s offense, which managed seven hits, was silenced from the third through the eighth innings before mounting a futile rally in the ninth. AJ Garcia drove in two runs with a triple, and Michael Quick added an RBI single, but it was far too little, too late.

With the victory, UNLV improved its season record to 4-2, while Bradley dropped to 1-5. The two teams conclude their three-game series on Sunday.

The most important part of the game was unequivocally the bottom of the eighth inning. UNLV sent 13 batters to the plate, transforming a manageable three-run deficit for Bradley into an insurmountable eight-run chasm. The inning featured a perfect storm of offensive patience, defensive collapse, and pitching wildness, encapsulating the game’s turning point from competitiveness to a blowout.