Feb. 11, 2000
PHOENIX, Ariz. - UNLV began day one of the Fiesta Bowl Tournament having to compete in back-to-back games against top 25 teams. The #21 Stanford Cardinal and the #13 Nebraska Cornhuskers would be first true challenges of the year for the Rebels.
In game one, the Rebels took on the Cardinals. Stanford struck quickly tallying two runs in the first inning behind a first base hit by Sarah Beeson and a double by Maureen LeCocq. UNLV was quick to respond with a two-run blast by junior shortstop Racheal Goodpaster (Fair Oaks, Calif.), bringing in Charelle Ainslie (Melbourne, Australia) to break even with the Cardinal.
Stanford scored consistently throughout the game but opened up the lead in the fourth by scoring seven runs. Geney Orris (Brea, Calif.) relieved Nicole Truax (Henderson, Nev.) in the fifth and final inning to keep the Cardinals scoreless at the end of the game. The final score after the mercy rule was implemented was 12-2, Stanford.
The hearts and the pride of UNLV would be tested in the second game when they would have to face Nebraska. The Rebels began the contest with a lead off walk and a stolen second base by senior Erica Vollweiler (Clovis, Calif.). Ainslie singled to centerfield and drove in Vollweiler. Goodpaster singled to centerfield and reached second on a passed ball. Orris also singled to centerfield and Goodpaster advanced to third. Freshman Courtney McCandless (Las Vegas, Nev.) drove in her first run of the season, Goodpaster, with a first base hit.
The Cornhuskers scored one run in the bottom of the first inning and were held in check by sophomore pitcher Geney Orris for the majority of the contest. UNLV scored in the third and fourth innings by battling the pitcher into walks and being aggressive in base running.
In the bottom of the sixth, Nebraska began to rally. Senior Jennifer Lizama capped the comeback by hitting a three-run homer to tie UNLV 5-5. During the seventh inning, the Rebels received a surprise lift from an unlikely source. Junior and Captain Linda Garza (Fresno, Calif.), who had been zero for five on the day, belted a line drive triple to the left field corner. Arica Painter (Mililani, Hawaii), who was pinch-running for Marissa Martinez (Fresno, Calif.), sprinted around the bases from first to put the Rebels up for good. Nebraska would make one last surge, scoring one more run, but UNLV would not be denied. The Rebels would go on to be #13 Nebraska 7-6.
On Saturday the Rebels will take on #16 UMASS in the first game and Utah St. in the second. Game one will begin at 9:00am and game two is scheduled to start at 1:30pm. UNLV is now 3-1 for the season and will be back at the Rebel Diamond on Thursday, February 17 to square off against Virginia.
