April 21, 2006

Final Stats

Albuquerque, N.M. - The UNLV softball team (19-30, 4-8 Mountain West) won both of its Mountain West Conference games in Albuquerque, N.M., at Lobo Field on Friday afternoon. The Rebels needed extra innings to take game one, 6-3 in eight innings. Game two was a different story as UNLV needed five innings to take care of the Lobos, 11-3 in a run-ruled contest.

In game one, the Rebels took a 3-0 lead with a run in the first and two more in the third, before the Lobos evened things up with three runs in the final two innings. UNLV used three errors by UNM's defense to score three runs in the eighth inning for the win.

In the first inning, Maggie Livreri came to the plate with two outs and deposited a home run over the left field fence.

In the third inning, three hits powered UNLV to two more runs with help from three hits. Brittany Freight hit a two-out double to right and scored on a single to right by Brittany Bolinger. Bolinger took second on the throw home. Shannon Crisp brought Bolinger home after a walk was awarded to Livreri.

New Mexico plated its first run of the game in the sixth inning. With the bases loaded following two singles and a hit-by-pitch, a sacrifice foul out ended the Rebels' shut out bid.

A two-run home run in the seventh by Cassie Chavez evened things up and sent the game to extra innings.

UNLV took control of the game in the eighth. With one out, Kendall Fearn hit into a fielder's choice that forced Crisp out at second. New Mexico's defense was caught napping as Fearn took second. Rosa Ordaz hit a grounder to second that was fielded cleanly, but the throw to the first baseman dropped the ball for her first error. Fearn took third on the grounder and came around to score on the drop as no one was covering home plate. The first baseman's throw home hit Fearn in the arm and allowed Ordaz to take second.

The Lobos loaded the bases up in the bottom of the eighth, but Crisp got Chavez to fly out to Bri Bernardi on the warning track down the left field line.

Crisp , who got the start in the game and pitched the first 5.1 innings, re-entered the circle to pick up the save in relief of Becky McDonald (3-4). Crisp threw 6.1 innings in the game. She allowed 10 hits and one run, while walking one and striking out three. McDonald struck out three in 1.2 innings of work and gave up two runs.

Game two went the way of the Rebels from the get-go. Four runs came across in the first and fourth innings, while a single run scored in the third and two more touched the plate in the fifth. The Lobos scored a single run in the fourth and two more in the fifth. The game ended as UNLV held an eight-run advantage after five innings of play.

Freight opened the game with a double to center and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Bolinger. Livreri walked and took second when Crisp reached on a fielder's choice that forced Freight out at home. Fearn loaded the bases up for the second time as she took a walk. Ordaz made the Lobos pay as she smacked an opposite-field home run to right for a grand slam.

In the third, the Rebels closed the inning with the bases loaded, but managed to score one before the inning ended. Bolinger began the inning with a single to the hole at short. Bolinger stole third and then came around to score on a single by Fearn.

Four more runs came home in the fourth on four hits. Bolinger singled to second with one out to get things started. Livreri then took a walk. Crisp came up and hit a three-run homer towards the scoreboard in left. The offense put runners on following the homer and scored the fourth run of the inning on a wild pitch.

UNM broke up Christie Robinson's shut out opportunity with a run in the fourth. The Lobos had the bases loaded and wound up scoring only one, as the run came across as Kendall Fearn and Becky McDonald turned a double play.

The Rebels extended its lead to 11 with two runs in the fifth, while UNM scored two of its own.

Robinson (6-10) took the win, as she tossed the full five innings. She surrendered three runs on seven hits. She struck out one and walked two.

Up next for UNLV is a doubleheader on Sunday in Fort Collins, Colo., against Colorado State. First pitch is scheduled for 11 am PST.