March 25, 2005

Final Stats

PALO ALTO, Calif. - UNLV improved to 22-11 with a 4-2 victory over the Rainbow Wahine of Hawaii (19-17) Friday afternoon at the Stanford Invitational. The Rebels broke open a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the sixth with two runs on back-to-back RBI-singles by Valerie Keeney and Amber Campbell. Jacque Kerrigan improved to 14-10 and tossed her 12th complete game of the season. Kerrigan struck out four and allowed only four hits, as well.

Hawaii jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the second with a leadoff double and an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt. With a runner on second and one out, Kerrigan fielded the sacrifice and threw the ball past Caitlyn Paus who was covering first on the bunt attempt. The runner advanced to third safely and came around to score an unearned run as the ball went down the right field line.

UNLV took a 2-1 lead with two runs in the third. Marissa Nichols tripled to center, the first of two extra-base hits in the game, to bring Campbell home from first. Campbell had reached on a bunt single towards third. Brittany Freight followed Nichols hit with a walk. With Paus in the batter's box, Freight stole second. Hawaii's catcher overthrew the second baseman covering on the steal and the error allowed Nichols to score. Frieght was thrown out attempting to move to third on the errant throw.

The Rainbow Wahine evened the score at two, with an unearned run in the fourth. A single to center put the tying run on the base paths. An error by Brittany Meade on a sacrifice bunt put runners on first and second. UNLV recorded the first out of the inning on a successful sacrifice bunt attempt that pushed both runners into scoring position. A sacrifice fly to left plated the lone run for Hawaii in the inning.

After stranding two runners at second and third in the fifth, the Rebels made up for their mistakes with two runs in the sixth. K. Robinson (1-1) relieved M. Coogan in the sixth inning. Robinson gave up a single to left to Meade to start the frame. Kahaunani Kahananui entered the game as a pinch runner for Meade. Kahananui was forced out at second on a fielder's choice hit by Morgan Bostwick. Rosa Ordaz advanced Bostwick to third on a double to left field. Keeney broke open the tie with a single to center. Campbell followed with a single to right to bring Ordaz home for an insurance run.

Up next for UNLV is a 7 p.m. contest Friday evening against the Saint Mary's Gaels.

Game Notes:

>Nichols extended her hitting streak to eight games with two hits in the game.

>UNLV is in the midst of a six-game winning streak. To take it further, the Rebels have won six of their last seven, seven of their last eight, and 10 of their last 12.