May 8, 2004

Box Score

LAS VEGAS - It was a special Senior Day for the UNLV softball team as it took both games of its Mountain West Conference doubleheader against Utah in its last at bat at Eller Media Stadium on Saturday.

The Rebels (25-34, 7-13) won the opener 4-3 on a bases-loaded single by Wendy Godwin, then rallied from a 6-1 deficit to tie the nightcap in the bottom of the seventh and snare a 7-6 victory in the bottom of the eighth.

Jacqueline Kerrigan (19-17) earned the start for the Rebels in the opener, facing Utah's ace, Brianna Gourdin (15-7).

The Utes (20-31, 8-12) struck first in the game, scoring on a leadoff walk in the top of the second. Lynsey Wall hit a double to the right-center gap with two aboard to drive in the first run.

UNLV quickly answered, scoring once in the bottom of the inning. Morgan Bostwick started the inning with a double to the same spot as Wall's, and came around to score after consecutive hits from Godwin and Pauline Glenn.

The game remained tied 1-1 through five innings as both pitchers threw well. Gourdin finished the game with nine strikeouts while Kerrigan allowed just five hits overall and only two through the first six innings.

The Rebels took their first lead of the day in the bottom of the fifth. After a Bridget Byrne leadoff double, Utah misplayed a sacrifice bunt attempt by Brittany Freight, and Byrne came all the way around to score. Lisa Sampson then drove in Freight on a double to give the Rebels a 3-1 lead.

Kerrigan worked through the sixth untouched, but the Utes made one last stab in the seventh. After giving up two singles to start the inning, Utah's Jackie Wong hit a ball to the outfield that rolled past a diving Sampson. By the time the ball was chased down, Wong stood on third and the tying run had scored. As Wong represented the go-ahead run, Kerrigan locked down and struck out the next two batters to end the jam.

UNLV opened the seventh strong with a single to center by Freight. Sampson then drew a walk to put two aboard with nobody out. Bostwick was next to bat, and hit a ball to Utah shortstop Glennis Donnelly that popped out of her mitt just before Freight raced into third. That loaded the bases for Godwin, who singled up the middle for the game winner.

Utah came out strong in the nightcap, throwing Samantha Schroeder against the Rebels and senior Kacey Ellis. Both pitchers retired the sides in order in the first, but Utah had another strong second inning in store.

Two quick singles and a sac bunt had two runners in scoring position for Utah's Ivette Hernandez. Hernandez hit a line shot back at Ellis that rolled just far enough away to allow her to reach first, but not so far as to allow either of the runners to advance. That loaded the bases for Kate Nygaard, who earned an easy RBI as she was hit with a pitch.

Utah added two more runs in the inning, both unearned after a Rebel throwing error allowed some easy advancement. Ellis finally ended the inning, but not before the Utes posted three.

The Utes added another unearned run in the top of the fourth before UNLV could push a run across. Glenn hit a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the fourth to drive in a run.

With the Rebels in a 4-1 hole, lefty Becky McDonald (3-8) was called in to pitch for Ellis. McDonald worked out of some light trouble in the fifth, but surrendered a key two-run homer to Donnelly in the sixth. The homer was the league-best 18th of the year for Donnelly and the Utes' 61st on the year as a team, breaking their school record.

Ahead 6-1 and seemingly cruising to an apparent victory, Utah continued to swing freely in the seventh. The Utes loaded the bases against McDonald before the lefty rang up her fifth strikeout of the game and forced Donnelly to ground out to escape the jam.

For the second time on the day, the Rebels needed bottom-of-the-seventh heroics, and this time it was to overcome a five-run deficit. The rally began on a one-out pinch-hit bunt single by Joanna Jackson. Byrne walked and Freight hit a bloop single to left to load the bases. Sampson then capped what was a stellar day for her with her second double of the game, hitting the gap in left center to allow all three runners to score. The Rebels trailed 6-4.

Schroeder remained pitching for Utah as the rally continued. Ellis, representing the tying run, singled up the middle to score Sampson from second. Utah got Bostwick to fly out to left for the second out, but Schroeder walked both Godwin and Glenn to load the bases a second time.

Melissa Graham came in to pinch run for Ellis, and Utah countered with a move to the bullpen. Heather Bowlin (2-7) came in to face Amy Lewis, the Rebels' 10th batter of the inning, and had no room to wiggle. She walked Lewis and the tying run came home. Bowlin did, however, force Jackson to pop up to the shortstop, leaving the bases stranded and forcing extra innings.

McDonald, fueled by the Rebels' big offensive inning, retired the Utes' 4-5-6 hitters in order in the eighth, and Utah never got another shot. Byrne slapped a twister into right that skipped right past the right fielder and rolled all the way to the fence. The speedy Byrne whirled around the diamond and had a fair shot at an inside-the-park walk-off home run, but was smartly held at third by head coach Lonni Alameda. With nobody out, Alameda wisely left the game in the hands of the freshman Freight.

Freight hit a sharp grounder to the shortstop Donnelly, but Donnelly could not hold the ball, and Byrne came home to easily score the game winner. McDonald claimed her third win of the year.

The Rebels collected 11 hits in the game, three from Sampson. In fact, the senior shone in her final home appearance, going 4-for-4 over both games with four walks, four RBI, three doubles and three runs scored.

Sampson wasn't the only senior to go out with a bang. Byrne finished the day a respectable 3-for-8, hitting a double and a triple and scoring the game winning run. Godwin was 3-for-6 on the day and drove in the game winner in the opening game. Ellis had just two hits on the day, but one was in the most clutch situation. And Bianca Gonzales, although hitless, was also errorless in making her first career start in right field.

The games wrapped up the regular season for UNLV. Despite the wins, the Rebels still trail the Utes by one game in the final league standings. Utah finished fourth with an 8-12 mark while the Rebels placed fifth at 7-13.

As the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds at next week's Mountain West Conference Tournament, the two teams will meet again on Thursday, May 13, in Fort Collins, Colo. Despite finishing behind the Utes in the final league standings, the Rebels took three of the four meetings between the two this year.