March 4, 2004

Box Score

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The UNLV softball team fell 8-0 in six innings in an exhibition game against the U.S. Olympic Team at the Speedline Invitational at the Eddie C. Moore Complex on Thursday.

Team USA, in the midst of its "Aiming for Athens" Tour to prepare for the upcoming Summer Olympic Games, started UNLV alumna Lori Harrigan in the circle. Harrigan struck out 11 Rebels and gave up just two hits in five innings of work to earn the victory.

Rebel starter Jacqueline Kerrigan shared the pitching chores with Kacey Ellis and was saddled with the loss. After throwing eight innings against Villanova in the Rebels' first game of the day, Kerrigan worked for just two innings in the nightcap. She gave up six runs and five hits, including a two-run homer to Crystl Bustos.

Ellis looked sharp in just over three innings in the circle. She retired the side in the third before facing some potential trouble in the fourth. Team USA put two runners aboard with one out, but Ellis forced Lisa Fernandez to ground to third, and Pauline Glenn turned the inning-ending double play.

Glenn also shone on the offensive side, collecting the first of the Rebels' two hits in the second inning. The second didn't come until the fifth when Becky McDonald hit a line drive to left with two outs.

UNLV trailed the Americans 6-0 after the second and stayed within that deficit until the bottom of the sixth. Ellis plunked Jessica Mendoza with a pitch to put the leadoff batter aboard. Nicole Giordano followed with a single to the left side to put two on with nobody out. Natasha Watley then slammed a double to left that scored Mendoza. As the Rebels tried to get the ball back to the circle, third baseman Amy Lewis overthrew a wet softball, and Giordano motored home to put Team USA ahead by eight.

The Americans, who defeated Illinois 3-2 earlier in the night, extended their pre-Olympic winning streak to 127 games with the win.