April 23, 2005

Final Stats

PROVO, Utah - UNLV (35-15, 11-2 Mountain West Conference) pulled even with BYU (34-10, 11-2 MWC) atop the leaderboard in the race for the MWC regular season crown. UNLV recorded its 16th double-digit hitting effort of the year as the Rebels scattered 10 hits around Gail Miller Field in Provo, Utah for its 5-0 win. Jacque Kerrigan (23-13) picked up the victory in her seventh shutout of the season. This was only the third time in 44 games this season that BYU has been held without a run. The win extended UNLV's winning streak to six, while the loss ended BYU's at nine games. The Cougars last defeat was to these same Rebels on April 9th.

Maggie Livreri broke the seal of the scoreless affair with a one-out solo shot over the left field fence off Summer Tobias (15-5) in the fourth inning . Livreri's homer was the sixth for her on the year and was UNLV's third hit of the game, following two two-out singles by Brittany Meade and Morgan Bostwick in the first and second innings, respectively.

In the fifth, Amber Campbell dropped down a two-out bunt single that was too good to warrant a throw to first base. Marissa Nichols singled to the short stop deep in the hole to put runners on first and second. Caitlyn Paus singled to left to bring Campbell home and put herself and Nichols in scoring position on a dropped relay by third baseman Ashyln Russell. Both runners were left stranded when Tobias struck out Meade to end the inning.

UNLV's offense wasn't satisfied with a two run lead, as they put three more runs up on the board in the seventh on four hits and help from a BYU error. Following two strikeouts, Campbell laced a single to center to start the offensive. Nichols moved Campbell to third with a double to right center. Paus dropped a double down the left field line and eventually settled at third following a throwing error to the plate by leftfielder Lindi Kennedy, who had just entered the game at the top of the inning. Campbell scored on the double and Nichols scored on Kennedy's error, after running into Russell down the third base line.

Kerrigan only surrendered three hits in the game, two doubles and a single. Fortunately, for the Rebels, all three hits came in separate innings. Neta Le'i hit a double in the second, but was left stranded on third when the inning came to a close. Lauren Watson-Perry singled up the middle with two out in the third. Watson-Perry stole third, but couldn't move any further when the third out lined out. In the sixth, Debbie Dodds hit a lead off shot that Meade dove for on the third base line, but the ball ricocheted off of her glove and down the left field fence in foul territory. Three outs were recorded to end the threat.

Up next is game two of Saturday's MWC scheduled doubleheader in Provo, Utah against BYU.