April 23, 2004
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The UNLV softball team lost both ends of its Mountain West Conference doubleheader against Colorado State on Friday, falling 15-0 and 4-3 at Ram Field.
The Rams (32-11, 8-2) used their home field advantage and the thin Colorado air to belt five home runs in the opening game. They hit only one in the nightcap, but it was a walk-off shot in the bottom of the seventh to seal a win and sweep.
UNLV (22-29, 4-8) collected just four hits in the first game, two off starter Jessica Strickland (11-3) and two off reliever JayCee Wood. Meanwhile, the Rams pounded out 15 hits off Becky McDonald (2-5), who went the distance for the Rebels.
Determined to prove the first game a fluke, UNLV came out strong in the nightcap. Senior Kacey Ellis (2-8) was especially sharp in the circle, surrendering just two hits through four innings.
After stranding runners in the first two innings, the Rebels earned their first lead of the day after back-to-back doubles by Brittany Freight and Lisa Sampson in the third inning. Pauline Glenn then stretched the lead to 2-0 with a homer to left, her fourth of the year.
The defense was also very sharp. Errorless in both games, the Rebels used some magnificent fielding to escape trouble in the fourth. First, second baseman Morgan Bostwick robbed Ricki Walker of a hit with a diving stop up the middle. The cold Colorado weather forced Bostwick to wear a beanie, which slipped down over her eyes on the diving stop. Blind but undaunted, Bostwick made a perfect "no-look" toss to first in time to put out the runner.
Three batters later, Brittany Huerta hit a line drive up the middle, back at Ellis. Ellis deflected the ball just into the range of shortstop Amber Campbell, who collected the ball, touched second and snapped a throw to first for an inning-ending double play.
Just to be safe, UNLV tacked on an insurance run in the top of the sixth. Wendy Godwin hit a leadoff double, which came around to score on a bloop single by Campbell.
With a 3-0 lead and Ellis pitching strongly, it looked as if the Rebels were bound for a split. But the heavy Ram bats were just getting warm. With one out in the sixth, CSU hit three straight doubles, scoring twice and pulling within a run of the Rebels. Ellis held on to the lead, however, by catching a line drive and recording her second strikeout of the game to end the threat.
In the seventh, Katie Dean hit a leadoff single to left. She moved to second on a sac bunt before CSU shortstop Brittany Burtner stepped to the plate. Burtner then hammered a pitch to left center to score two runs and end the game.
With both wins, Colorado State swept the season series against UNLV.
The Rebels continue their road trip on Sunday, April 25, in Albuquerque, N.M., when they face New Mexico in a MWC doubleheader at 1:00 p.m. at Lobo Field.
