LAS VEGAS — After multiple postponements and delays, the weekend's non-conference baseball series between Santa Clara University and host UNLV finally began Saturday night. The pitching was as nasty as the weather, with both staffs recording double-digit strikeouts. But it was the Rebels who were able to break through offensively, grabbing a 5-0 win at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• UNLV'S Austin Cates (3-2) and Santa Clara's Blake Hammond (1-2) went frame for frame early on. Cates already had seven Ks through four scoreless innings, and he'd finish with 10 in six shutout. Hammond struck out four through his first 3 2/3 innings of shutout work. He surrendered a two-out solo home run to Austin Kryszczuk, but got his fifth strikeout to end the fourth. He'd total six in the game, getting one more before he departed in the fifth inning.
   
• The Rebels (10-7) broke through in the fifth with three runs to turn a 1-0 contest into a 4-0 advantage. A leadoff walk and infield single set the inning up. Hefft's two-out, two-run single was the big hit of the inning. He lined it past a diving Ben Cleary at second base. A few feet more to the right and the Broncos (10-6) are out of the inning only trailing 2-0.
   
• Jesus Gonzalez came in for UNLV and earned a three-inning save, not allowing a run and only giving up two hits in three shutout frames. He struck out five, including striking out the side when he entered in the seventh and getting a big strikeout to end the eighth with runners on the corners for the Broncos.
   
• Cleary went 2 for 3 for his fourth multi-hit game this season. Michael O'Hara and Jordan Lewis both hit doubles Saturday. The Broncos had a runner in scoring position in each of the first three innings and five of nine on the night. They'd go 1 for 8 with six strikeouts while runners were in scoring position.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 10: Hammond and Brandon Gomez combined for 10 strikeouts. It was the second consecutive game and third in the last four Santa Clara has had double-digit strikeouts on the mound.
• 15: The 15 strikeouts the Broncos' offense had were an anomaly. They hadn't struck out more than nine times in a game since March 5, and it was the second-most in a game this season, behind their 16 at Washington on March 1.

NEXT UP
The now-shortened series concludes on Sunday with a single game starting at 12:05 p.m. Fans can find live coverage links on SantaClaraBroncos.com.