Feb. 12, 2000
PHOENIX - The momentum gained from yesterdays victory over the #13 Nebraska Cornhuskers carried into this morning's contest against the #16 University of Massachusetts Minutewomen. On the very first play of the game senior Erica Vollweiler (Clovis, Calif.) singled to lead off the inning. Linda Garza (Fresno, Calif.) singled to third base to advance Vollweiler to second. Charelle Ainslie (Melbourne, Australia) then knocked in a RBI single to give the Rebels a 1-0 lead in the first. Nicole Truax (Las Vegas, Nev.), who had an off day against Stanford, redeemed herself by holding UMASS scoreless for most of the game. The Minutewomen only recorded three hits off Truax in her five and one-half innings of work.
In the fifth, Marisa Martinez (Fresno, Calif.) began the inning by singling to second. Danielle Ferreira (La Cresenta, Calif.) reached first on an error by the pitcher, who overshot the first baseman. Martinez advanced to third on the error. Garza then belted a double to left field, driving in Martinez and Ferreira. UNLV built a 4-0 lead on UMASS.
In the last two innings, the Minutewomen of UMASS would make things exciting by scoring three runs, but the defense of the Rebels would step up. With one out and a man on second in the seventh, Brandi Cross blasted a double to right field. Senior Nicole Miller (Corona, Calif.) fielded the ball and gunned it to home, noticing that the runner was going try to score from second. The throw was perfect and freshman catcher Courtney McCandless (Las Vegas, Nev.) survived a tremendous hit by the runner to finish the out and prevent the tying score. UNLV held off UMASS in the last inning to win by a score of 4-3.
In the second game, the Rebels took on the Utah State Aggies. The game would resemble a heavyweight bout, each taking one another's best shots. The Rebels jumped out to an early lead in the first with a two-run homer by Racheal Goodpaster (Fair Oaks, Calif.). The Aggies struck right back with three runs of their own in the same inning. In the third, Ainslie knocked out one of her two homeruns in the game, driving in two and putting UNLV back on top 4-3. Utah State would again answer in the bottom of the inning with two runs and four more in the next, making the score 9-4 going into the fifth.
Vegas would make one more run to try to overtake Utah State in the final innings. Ainslie hit her second two-run homer of the game and pulled the Rebels to within three. Nicole Miller added another solo-shot of her own in the seventh, but UNLV would fall just short. The Aggies captured the victory 9-7 despite four homeruns by the Rebels in the game The Rebels will closeout the tournament tomorrow when they will battle #4 Arizona. The first will be thrown out at 12 noon.
