March 6, 2005

Final Stats

LAS VEGAS - UNLV (13-9) scored its second win against top-25 competition Sunday at the Las Vegas Classic. The Rebels defeated #14 Washington (12-7) 7-5 for their third win in the Classic. Washington held a one-run lead heading into the fourth, but UNLV was able to plate three runners and hold on for the victory.

Shannon Crisp (4-0) picked up her fourth win of the season, while Jacque Kerrigan notched her first save as she recorded the final four outs to close out the game. Kerrigan started the game and threw two innings before Crisp was summoned to relieve her after a lead off walk in the third. Crisp tossed 3.2 innings of relief for the victory. Kerrigan was responsible for UW's first run, while Crisp allowed all four in the third (one of which was Kerrigan's).

The Huskies began the game with an RBI-single to left that scored a runner from second. Washington got a walk to open the game and followed it with two singles. The second of which scored the only run until each team put four runs in the third-inning column.

Amber Campbell led off the third with a walk and moved to second on a groud out by Valerie Keeney. Marissa Nichols moved Campbell to third on a single to right and stole second during Caitlyn Paus's at-bat. Campbell came around to score on a single up the middle by Paus. Brittney Meade loaded the bases as she bunted her way on with a single. Crisp recorded the second RBI of the innings as she was hit by a pitch and brought Nichols to the plate. The final two runs came around on an error by Washington's third baseman. The ground ball was fielded cleanly, but an errant throw brought Paus and Meade home.

Crisp walked her first batter after entering the game with a runner on first. UW's Kristen Rivera knotted the game with a home run blast that cleared the outer fence in centerfield. Sarah Hyatt followed with a shot of her own that fell just under the scoreboard in left.

Not to be out done, UNLV rallied for three of their own in the fourth. Nichols knocked in the tying and go-ahead runners (Campbell and Joanna Jackson) after they had reaced on a bunt single and a hit by pitch. Nichols stole second and was pushed to third on a sacrifice bunt by Meade. Livreri brought Nichols home on a single off the UW pitcher's glove.

The Huskies made it interesting in the bottom of the sixth as they were helped by a controversial bang-bang play at third and second. The first batter, Lauren Greer, reached on a bunt single and was moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jacki Hansen. Meade's attempt to throw Ashley Charters out on a grounder to third was unsuccessful. With Meade's throw going to first, Greer took off for third and slid in safely. Meade threw over to Paus at second to get the advancing Charters, but was unlucky. Both runners were deemed safe by the umpires.

With runners at second and third, Kerrigan reentered the game with two outs in the sixth. She walked Rivera to load the bases and got Hyatt to fly out to Nichols in left.

Both teams went down 1-2-3 in the seventh.

Next up for UNLV its fifth and final home tournament, the Eller Media Stadium Classic. The Classic begins on Thursday, March 10 and runs until Sunday the 13th. The Rebels will open with two games on Thursday at 5 pm against North Carolina State and follow it up with a game against Bowling Green.