March 6, 2004

Box Score

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Western Michigan became the first team in more than 27 innings to score against UNLV pitcher Jacqueline Kerrigan en route to a 4-1 victory over the UNLV softball team at the Speedline Invitational at Eddie C. Moore Complex on Saturday.

Kerrigan (9-8) had not allowed a run since Sunday, Feb. 29 against Simon Fraser, marked by shutout victories against Utah Valley State, Villanova and Hofstra. She cruised through the first three innings against the Broncos (8-7) before allowing four runs in the fourth.

UNLV (10-12) allowed the leadoff runner aboard on a fielding error, but Kerrigan struck out the next batter. Then WMU began a string of four straight hits of the tiring pitcher, two singles followed by a two-RBI double to give the Broncos the lead. A subsequent single drove in two more, and the Rebels found themselves in a 4-0 hole.

Although the Rebels matched the Broncos' seven hits, they were unable to string them together as WMU did. UNLV left runners aboard in every inning, including two in scoring position in the fourth.

Kacey Ellis came in to relieve Kerrigan in the fifth and retired nine of the 10 batters she faced, allowing only a meaningless one-out single in the seventh.

In the sixth, the Rebel offense put three hits together. Ellis smacked a leadoff single into center and moved all the way to third on a double by Pauline Glenn. Morgan Bostwick then pulled a ball down the third-base line for an RBI single, her second hit of the game. The next three batters, however, went down in order, and the remaining runners were stranded.