Feb. 5, 2002
Box Score
LAS VEGAS - Pauline Glenn hit a grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning to cap a come-from-behind rally and lead the Rebel softball team to a sweep of Saint Mary's in a doubleheader at Eller Media Stadium on Tuesday, 6-2 and 7-3.
UNLV (2-0) fell behind early in the nightcap, committing three errors in the first inning to allow the Gaels (3-4) a 2-0 edge.
The Rebels got on the scoreboard in the fourth behind a solo home run by senior Geney Orris. Orris' home run, which sailed over both the field and park fences in left field, was the first bomb hit in the team's new park.
Down 3-1, the Rebels scrapped for the tying run in the sixth. Sophomore Bridget Byrne manufactured a run after walking to first, stealing second, advancing to third on a ground ball and scoring on a passed ball. Orris then came through for the second time, driving in Glenn with a double to tie the game at three.
But the real heroics were saved for the seventh. With one out, Wendy Godwin delivered a pinch-hit single. After a single by Shawna Goessling, Byrne reached first by error to load the bases. Catcher Melissa Inuoye got ahead 3-0 in the count, but struck out for the inning's second out. Thrust into the hero's role, Glenn delivered a long fly to center that cleared the fence with room to spare.
Kacey Ellis (1-0) picked up the win in relief of Nicole Truax. Saint Mary's Sara Wiedlin (1-2) was tagged with her second loss despite striking out 10.
No comeback was needed in the opener. Orris was dominant in the circle, allowing the Gaels just one hit and three base runners in six innings. Offensively, she scored the game's first run on Melissa Bruechert's pinch-hit walk and added a double in the fifth that set up the Rebels' second run.
UNLV exploded in the sixth with four insurance runs, fueled by Inuoye's bases-loaded triple. Saint Mary's picked up a pair of runs off Ellis in the seventh to cut the final score to 6-2.
"I'm pleased with our performance today," UNLV head coach Shan McDonald said. "Sometimes it takes a while for teams to settle in and find their groove, and I felt like we did that in about the fifth inning in the second game. We stayed focused and kept ourselves in it."
With the wins, the Rebels improve to a perfect 6-0 all-time against the Gaels.
UNLV will hit the road for the first time this season later this week when it travels to Tempe, Ariz., to compete in the Fiesta Bowl Tournament hosted by Arizona State. The Rebels face No. 29 Wisconsin and No. 12 Nebraska on Friday, Feb. 8, before concluding the tourney with single games against No. 24 Massachusetts, No. 5 California and Texas A&M.
