RENO, Nevada – Andy Vences’ victory Saturday wasn’t as entirely easy as he had hoped.

The Philippines’ Mark Benaldez cracked Vences with a right hand that opened a cut in the fifth round of their eight-round lightweight fight. Vences withstood that difficult fifth round, though, continued to out-box Benaldez and won a unanimous decision on the Shakur Stevenson-Joet Gonzalez undercard at Reno-Sparks Convention Center.

The 28-year-old Vences (23-1-1, 12 KOs), of San Jose, California, won by the same score, 79-73, on all three cards. The junior lightweight veteran fought for the first time since Albert Bell beat him by unanimous decision in Vences’ previous fight, a 10-rounder June 15 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The Philippines’ Benaldez (19-3, 13 KOs) landed only a few flush shots after winning the fifth round. Vences regained control of their fight thereafter and mostly used his jab to secure the win.

Following a fourth round Vences controlled, Benaldez nailed Vences with an overhand right that opened a cut over Vences’ left eye late in the fifth round. Benaldez tried to follow up and further hurt Vences, but Vences wouldn’t allow it.

Vences got off to a strong start in their bout appeared to out-box Benaldez in the first round rounds.

In the bout before Vences’ victory, Jason Sanchez returned to the site of his lone loss and got back in the win column.

Sanchez knocked down Adeilson Dos Santos twice in the fourth round and stopped him with one second remaining in it. Referee Jay Nady halted the action at 2:59 of the fourth round in a scheduled 10-round featherweight fight.

Sanchez lost to former WBO featherweight champ Oscar Valdez in his previous fight, which took place June 8 at Reno-Sparks Convention Center. Sanchez won a one-sided, 12-round unanimous decision in that fight four months ago.

Mexico’s Valdez (26-0, 22 KOs) since has given up the WBO featherweight title for which Stevenson (12-0, 7 KOs), of Newark, New Jersey, and Gonzalez (23-0, 14 KOs), of Glendora, California, will fight in the main event Saturday night.

After three mostly unremarkable rounds Saturday, Sanchez dropped Brazil’s Dos Santos twice with body shots in the fourth round.

His first left to the body slipped around Dos Santos’ guard and dropped him to both knees and a glove when there were about 30 seconds to go in the fourth round. Dos Santos (19-7, 15 KOs) answered Nady’s count at nine, but quickly went down to his side once Sanchez connected with another left to the body that didn’t land as cleanly as the first left that put down Dos Santos.

Sanchez, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, improved to 15-1 and produced his eighth knockout.

Earlier Saturday, Jared Anderson didn’t even need a minute to win his pro debut.

The highly touted heavyweight prospect landed a left hook to the body that sent Daniel Infante to one knee 41 seconds into the opening round. Infante got up before referee Robert Hoyle’s count reached 10, but Hoyle waved an end to their scheduled four-rounder 54 seconds into it.

Anderson (1-0, 1 KO), of Toledo, Ohio, scored his knockout in the first fight on the Stevenson-Gonzalez undercard. Infante, of Youngstown, Ohio, slipped to 1-3.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.