March 20, 2004
Box Score
FULLERTON, Calif. - The UNLV softball team led No. 20 Nebraska twice, but was unable to hold off a late rally as the Cornhuskers stole a 10-8 decision at the Kia Classic on Saturday.
The Rebels (17-19) opened up a 2-0 lead in the third inning, but surrendered it in the bottom half of the inning as Nebraska scored four runs. Undaunted, UNLV recaptured the lead after a six-run fourth inning to take an 8-4 lead. Nebraska persevered, scoring three in the fifth and three more in the sixth to rack up the 10-8 final.
UNLV took the early lead, scoring the lead off batter. Bridget Byrne singled to the right side, moved to second on a Brittany Freight sacrifice, and then scored all the way from second on a throwing error attempted to put out Lisa Sampson.
The Rebels added a second unearned run in the third. Amber Campbell reached on an error to begin the inning. Byrne singled up the middle, and Freight hit a 1-2 pitch into right to load the bases up with nobody out. Sampson was then hit by a pitch, earning the easy but painful RBI. Nebraska took advantage of a fielder's choice and a double play to escape the jam.
The Huskers responded in the bottom of the third, scoring four runs to erase the Rebels' lead. Devin Porter was hit by a pitch to begin the inning. She moved to second on a sac bunt, then Kerrigan struck out the next batter for the second out. But that was the last out Kerrigan would record. Nicole Trimboli singled to score Porter. Sheena Lawrick then walked, putting two aboard for Nebraska. Trisha Tannahill belted out another single to score Trimboli. Jamie Waldecker followed suit, collecting the third Husker hit of the inning to score Lawrick. Tannahill moved all the way to third, and came in to score the last run of the inning on a double steal.
All four runs were charged to starter Jacqueline Kerrigan, who left before the last out of the third was recorded. On the heels of a complete game performance in the day's first game, Kerrigan was lifted in favor of Kacey Ellis.
Down 4-2, the Rebels turned in their biggest inning of the tournament. Godwin started the inning with a double, her second of the day. Nebraska then threw away a putout attempt on a sac bunt to give the Rebels two runners. Campbell and Byrne both dropped infield singles, and Byrne's scored a run.
Nebraska then looked to its pen and brought in ace Peaches James, who had shut the Rebels out just three days prior. But James came in a bit cold and walked the first two batters she faced. Both walks came with the bases loaded and scored the tying and go-ahead runs for UNLV.
With two out, Morgan Bostwick carved a pitch into right field with the bases loaded to score two runners. Godwin then singled up the middle, her second hit of the inning, to score one more and put the Rebels on top by an 8-4 count.
The upset began brewing when Ellis worked through the bottom of the fourth without allowing a hit.
Nebraska finally hit Ellis with a leadoff double in the fifth. That kicked off the Huskers' next rally, which used two more singles and a Rebel fielding error to score three.
The Rebels carried an 8-7 lead into the sixth and tried to stave off the Husker come back. Anne Steffan lined out to start the inning, but then Ellis had trouble finding the strike zone and issued back-to-back walks.
Clinging to the one-run lead, UNLV re-entered Kerrigan to pitch. Kerrigan walked the first batter she faced, the third straight allowed by UNLV, and the bases were loaded. After getting a line out to first for the inning's second out, NU's KoKo Tacha popped up for an infield single that dropped between the pitcher and second baseman to tie the game.
Nebraska took the lead for the final time in its next at-bat as Kerrigan hit Liz Lawhorn with a pitch to bring home the winning run.
Byrne continued her impressing hitting tear, going 3-for-4 in the game with an RBI.
The Rebels conclude play at the Kia Classic and return home for a week before they head to Tucson, Ariz., to meet the top-ranked Wildcats in a doubleheader on Sunday, March 28.
