RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The UC Riverside Baseball Team (3-5) fell to UNLV (8-1) in its home season-opener, 6-1, on Tuesday. Junior outfielder Dean Miller nabbed the Highlanders' sole run of the day, tying junior Yeager Taylor for the team-lead with two hits on four at bats apiece.

Miller's second hit of the day came with his team facing a 4-0 deficit in the bottom of the eighth, as he singled to center field with two outs on the board. After Miller advanced to third following a balk and a wild pitch, sophomore Connor Cannon struck a double off the center field wall, bringing Miller home and cutting the deficit to 4-1.

Cannon's eighth inning double was the Highlanders' only extra-base hit of the day. The Rebels – who finished with a 12-to-5 advantage in the hit department – tacked on the last runs of the day off a two-run homer in the top of the ninth.

More than half of UNLV's 12 hits came in the first two innings, as the visitors opened the scoring with two runs on five hits in the second. The Rebels would score an unearned run in the fifth and tally one more in the seventh to make it 4-0.

UC Riverside's defense would stiffen up from there, led by senior second baseman Cody Sporrer, who played a part in three Highlander double plays in the first four innings.

Senior pitcher Max Compton (0-1) was given his first loss of the season, as he and senior AJ Sawyer ended the day with one and two strikeouts, respectively.

Dean Miller now has four multi-hit games in eight appearances this year, recording two hits for the first time since tallying three against Washington State on Feb. 18. Yeager Taylor's two hits set a season-high.

Cannon's RBI was his team-leading 10th of the season. No other Highlander has more than five.

The Highlanders will be home for their next nine contests, beginning with a three-game series this Friday through Sunday against USF.