May 31, 2005
LAS VEGAS -
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Rebels Season Comes To An End With 44 Wins...
UNLV's 2005 run into the postseason came to an end on Saturday, May 21st. The Rebels survived their first elimination game with a win against #4 Regional Seed Loyola Marymount, but couldn't hold off #7 National Seed / #1 Regional Seed UCLA in the second elimination game of the day. UNLV closed out the 2005 campaign with a 44-19 record. The 44-wins are the third-most in the program's history, with only the Women's College World Series teams of 1991 and 1995 holding down a tie at #1 with 49-wins.
The trip to UCLA was the first postseason appearance for UNLV, since 1996 when the Rebels ended a seven-year run into the NCAAs beginning in 1990. Overall, UNLV is 17-18 in the NCAA Tournament.
The 2005 schedule was arguably one of the toughest in the country. When the NCAA Tournament field was set, 16 of the 64 were opponents of UNLV in the regular season. Against those 16, the Rebels held a record of 8-14. In games against top-25 competition, UNLV won four of 13 contests, with "W's" over then-#21 Oregon, #14 Washington, #20 Northwestern and #18 Fresno State.
This season saw the emergence of a lineup heavy in freshmen. The 2005 Rebels were led offensively by Marissa Nichols and Caitlyn Paus. Nichols nearly rewrote the all-time single-season record book, while Paus put up numbers to place her name in it, as well. Maggie Livreri and Brittany Meade made strong contributions to the middle of the lineup.
In the circle, Jacque Kerrigan and Shannon Crisp held their own with 43 wins between the two of them. The pitching was split between a senior and a freshman. One ending her career, while the other has years left to play. Kerrigan (29-14) ended her career atop or in second-place in eight career records. Crisp began the year with a 7-0 mark, and concluded it at 14-4.
In conference play, UNLV racked up 17 wins to three losses. The 17-wins were the most ever by a Rebel squad since the MWC began playing softball in 2000. The play of Nichols, Paus, Livreri, Meade and Kerrigan was awarded with the five named to the all-conference team. Nichols was chosen as the freshman of the year, while Kerrigan took pitcher of the year honors. Head coach Lonni Alameda, wasn't left out of the hardware department either, as she was named the conference's coach of the year.
NCAA Regional #7 Competition...
Friday, May 20 WinnerNoon Game 1: #2 UNLV vs. #3 Cal State Fullerton CSUF, 5-42:30 pm Game 2: #1 UCLA vs. #4 Loyola Marymount UCLA , 6-1
Saturday, May 2110:00 am Game 3: UCLA vs. Cal State Fullerton CSUF, 2-1 (11)12:30 pm Game 4: UNLV vs. LMU UNLV, 6-13:00 pm Game 5: UNLV vs. UCLA UCLA, 4-1
Sunday, May 22Noon Game 6: UCLA vs. Cal State Fullerton UCLA, 6-02:30 pm Game 7: UCLA vs. Cal State Fullerton UCLA, 3-1
*UCLA advanced into the round of 16 (Super Regionals) with two victories on May 22nd.
