April 13, 2001

FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The UNLV softball team split a pair of Mountain West Conference games with Colorado State on Friday. The Rams took game one, 5-2 and UNLV battled back to win the nightcap, 4-3 in eight innings. With the split, the Rebels move to 23-19 overall an 4-4 in conference play. Colorado State finishes the day with a 4-29 record and 1-6 in MWC play.

The Rams opened the scoring in game one taking a 3-0 lead through two innings of play. The Rebels cut into the deficit in the third inning with a run-scoring single by junior Samantha Kimura. Colorado State added two more runs in the fifth and sixth innings, increasing its lead to 5-1.

The Rebels had one last shot to get back in the game in the seventh inning. However, they could only muster one run on a pinch-hit single by senior Debbie Hatch. The Rebels fell in game one 5-2.

Colorado State again opened up the scoring in game two, taking a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Rebel junior Nicole Truax was relieved from the mound in the inning as freshman Kacey Ellis came on and went the distance for the Rebels. UNLV equalized the game at three in the fourth inning on a run-scoring single by senior Linda Garza and a two-run single by junior Arica Painter.

Neither team could produce any more runs throughout the rest of regulation. The Rebels entered their fourth extra-inning game of the season. In the top of the eighth, the Rebels got the game-winning run off a solo home run by senior Racheal Goodpaster, her team leading seventh of the year for the 4-3 victory. UNLV improved its extra-inning record to 4-0 with the victory.

Ellis pitched a solid six and two-thirds innings in relief, giving up two hits, no runs, a walk and a strike out, improving her record to 10-7 on the year and a team-low 2.60 ERA. The Rebels will travel to New Mexico for a pair of games with the Lobos on Sunday.