April 7, 2006
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS -
The UNLV softball team (16-27, 1-5 Mountain West) dropped game one of its doubleheader to Colorado State (22-10, 3-1 MWC) before taking the second game. The Rebels lost game one 8-2, but rallied for a 5-4 win in game two. The win snapped a five-game overall losing streak and gave UNLV its first win in conference play.
In game one, Colorado State opened the game with two runs in the first and built a 4-0 lead before UNLV cut it to 4-2. The Rams pushed four more across in the fifth and held on for an 8-2 final. CSU out-hit its hosts nine-to-five. UNLV had opportunities as there were seven base runners stranded when the at-bats ended.
In the first inning, a two-run double by Lauren Cusick to left center plated the first two runners of the game. Tara Harbert opened the game by getting hit with a pitch thrown by Becky McDonald (1-3). She took second on a steal. Jessica Strickland moved Harbert to third when Kendall Fearn misplayed the grounder.
In the third, back-to-back singles by Strickland and Cusick put runners on base. A stolen base moved Strickland to third, while a groundout moved Cusick to second. Katie Dean's single to center brought home both runners and gave CSU a 4-0 lead.
The Rebels rallied for two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Becky McDonald began the frame with a walk and moved to second a sac bunt by Britney Hillyer. Brittany Freight moved McDonald to third on a single to center. Freight put herself in scoring position with a stolen base. After Maggie Livreri loaded the bases by getting hit by a pitch, Shannon Crisp singled through the right side to score McDonald and Freight..
CSU extended its lead to six with four runs in the fifth with help from a three-run home run by Julia Kloppe. All four runs scored after the Rebels had turned a double play. Stacey Leigh walked to start the two-out rally. Kim Klabough (12-2) singled to third to put two on. Dean singled to right to score Leigh. Kloppe then came up and deposited McDonald's offering to the base of the flag pole in left center.
In game two, UNLV took an early 1-0 lead in the first only to see CSU score two in the second. The Rebels countered with two of their own in the third, but the Rams took the lead back with two in the fourth. UNLV ended the scoring with two in the fourth and held on for the win.
Freight began the Rebel half of the first inning with a single into the hole at short. Brittany Bolinger moved Freight to second with a sac bunt. After a fly out, Crisp singled up the middle through the legs of CSU's pitcher Jessica Strickland (9-8) to score Freight.
CSU took the lead in the second with help from two hits. With one out, Dean singled through the right side. Renee Welty walked. Shannon Causgrove singled through the right side to score Dean and to move Welty to third. Jennifer Gardner brought Welty home on a fielder's choice play.
The Rebels put the game in their favor for a short time with two runs in the third. Freight hit a one-out single through the right side. Brittany Bolinger hit a grounder to Harbert at second, but the ball was overthrown and went out of play. Freight was awarded home on the errant throw, while Bolinger went to third. With Crisp on first due to a walk, Rosa Ordaz singled up the middle to give the Rebels a 3-2 lead.
In the fourth, the Rams took the lead back with help from five errors by the Rebel defense. Kloppe began the excursion with a single to left. Dean reached on a fielding error by McDonald at first and then took second when McDonald's throw to first went past Caitlyn Paus covering first. After the play, Jamie Wong came into the game to pinch run for Kloppe and Crisp (8-13) entered the circle in relief of Robinson. Crisp got Welty to fly out for the second out. Causgrove then hit a grounder to Livreri at short, which was booted and then went to second when Livreri's throw went past McDonald at first. With Dean at third and Causgrove at second, Jennifer Gardner hit a chopper to Livreri mishandled for her third error of the inning. Dean scored on the error.
UNLV took control of the game in the bottom of the inning with two runs. McDonald singled to short and took second on an errant throw by Rachelle Padeway in an attempt to get her. Britney Hillyer sac bunted McDonald to third for Freight's game-tying single through the left side. Freight moved into scoring position on a sac bunt by Bolinger. Livreri found a bit of redemption by hitting what turned out to be the game-winning single to left field.
Crisp took the control of the game by holding the CSU bats at bay in the final three innings. She allowed only one hit and three base runners, none of which went past second base. She threw the final 3.2 innings and gave up one hit, while walking one and striking out one.
Next up for the Rebels is an 11 am doubleheader against New Mexico on Sunday, April 9.
