UNLV roundup: Ban, men’s golf team tied for lead in Arizona
Shintaro Ban shot 9-under-par 133 through two rounds Saturday to share the lead and help lift the No. 23-ranked UNLV men’s golf team to a tie with host Arizona State atop the leaderboard in the three-round Thunderbird Invitational in Tempe, Arizona.
The Rebels and No. 22 Sun Devils are at 18-under 550, three strokes better than No. 8 Oklahoma in a 17-team field featuring five teams ranked in Golfweek’s top 25 and three in the top 10.
UNLV freshman Garrick Higgo is at 7-under 135 and alone in fifth in the 85-player field.
Also for the Rebels, junior Harry Hall is tied for 15th at 2-under 140, sophomore Justin Kim is tied for 28th at 1-over 143, and freshman Jack Trent is tied for 44th at 3-over 145.
No. 9 Baylor is fourth in the team standings at 557, followed by Arizona (562) and No. 1 Oklahoma State (565).
SOFTBALL
At Boise, Idaho, Mia Trejo hit a two-out, full-count, two-run single in the seventh inning to back a strong complete-game pitching effort from Charlie Masterson and lift the Rebels to a 2-1 victory over Boise State.
Masterson (6-6) held the Broncos (27-13, 6-5 Mountain West), who entered the weekend with a league-leading .360 team batting average, to one run on five hits and no walks and struck out three.
Masterson also singled leading off the decisive seventh for the Rebels (24-15, 6-8), who have won three straight Mountain West games after a seven-game league losing streak.
Trejo finished 2-for-3 with a double, and UNLV held a 7-5 edge in hits.
Boise State starter Kelsey Broadus (8-6) went the distance, allowing two earned runs on seven hits and three walks and striking out five.
The Rebels escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fifth, when Masterson started a 1-2-3 double play and then coaxed a lineout.
Jessica McKay went 2-for-3 with a double and scored the Broncos’ run in the fourth.
BASEBALL
At Wilson Stadium, Ryan Robb had four hits, including two doubles and a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning, to lead Air Force to a 5-1 victory over the Rebels.
Nick Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with a home run in the sixth that tied the score at 1 for UNLV (25-12, 8-6 Mountain West), which was outhit 12-9.
Ashton Easley hit a two-run triple in the Falcons’ three-run eighth, and Nic Ready hit his 12th home run of the season for Air Force (15-20, 8-9).
Falcons starter Matt Hargreaves (2-4) limited the Rebels to one run on seven hits and one walk and struck out four in six innings.
UNLV starter Chase Maddux (3-4) allowed two runs on six hits and one walk and struck out five in six innings.