March 1, 2007
LAS VEGAS -
Week Four Release in PDF Format
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Update: UNLV Inviational: Due to inclement weather in the midwest, the Nebraska softball team will attempt to make its way to Las Vegas, Nev., at a later time. Due to their late arrival, the UNLV Invitational schedule has been altered. The UNLV Rebels will now play at 11:15 pm (Fresno State) and 1:30 pm (DePaul) on Friday. The Rebels will play at 3:45 pm (California) and 8:15 pm (Southern Utah) on Saturday. UNLV will now have Sunday off and will come back on Monday for a doubleheader vs. Delaware State beginning at 5:00 pm.
Leading Off: The UNLV softball team sits at 12-6 with three weeks completed in the 2007 season. After hitting the road last weekend for Palm Springs, Calif., the Rebels return home for the UNLV Invitational (March 2-5) at Eller Media Stadium. The Rebels welcome Southern Utah, DePaul, Fresno State, California, Delaware State and Nebraska to Las Vegas. UNLV will face each squad, except Nebraska.
On Deck: UNLV will stay home for its fourth and final home tournament of the 2007 season with the Eller Media Stadium Classic on March 8-11. The Rebels will play a doubleheader against Oregon and then single games versus Harvard, Miami (Ohio), Longwood and Portland State. New Mexico State is participating in the Classic, as well, but will not play UNLV.
UNLV Invitational Schedule: Revised:
Friday, March 2:9:00 pm California vs. Fresno State11:15 pm UNLV vs. Fresno State1:30 pm UNLV vs. DePaul3:45 pm California vs. Delaware State6:00 pm DePaul vs. Southern Utah8:15 pm Nebraska vs. Southern Utah
Saturday, March 3:9:00 pm DePaul vs. California11:15 pm DePaul vs. Nebraska1:30 pm Fresno State vs. Nebraska3:45 pm UNLV vs. California6:00 pm Fresno State vs. Southern Utah8:15 pm UNLV vs. Southern Utah
Sunday, March 4:9:00 pm DePaul vs. Fresno State11:15 pm Nebraska vs. Delaware State1:30 pm Nebraska vs. California3:45 pm Southern Utah vs. Delaware State
Monday, March 5:5:00 pm UNLV vs. Delaware State7:00 pm UNLV vs. Delaware State
*Team listed first is in 3rd base dugout*Team underlined is home team
Last Time Out: Palm Springs Classic: The UNLV softball team hit the road last week for the first time in 2007 at the Palm Springs Classic held in Cathedral City, Calif., and came back to Las Vegas with three wins in six tries. UNLV picked up wins over Virginia, Penn State and Maryland, but suffered setbacks against Cal Poly, Notre Dame and Mississippi.
In the first contest for the Rebels, UNLV fell behind Virginia 4-0 in the fifth inning, but fought back to take the lead 5-4 in the bottom of the inning. The Rebels added another run to push their lead to 6-4, but the Cavaliers answered with a two-run home run to knot the score at 6-6. After Stephanie Bregante shut down Virginia in the eighth, the Rebels loaded the bases for a run-scoring single by Kendall Fearn to take the game by a 7-6 margin.
On day two, UNLV split with a 9-8 win over Penn State and a 2-0 loss to Cal Poly. The Rebels held a 8-2 lead over the Nittany Lions, but watched as PSU evened the score at 8-8 with a six-run fifth inning. Fearn came up big for the Rebels, as she deposited a solo shot over the left field fence to start the sixth inning. The Rebels luck ended in their loss to Cal Poly. The Mustangs got a lead-off home run to score the only run needed for them to take hold of the game. CP added an insurance run in the third to up the ante to 2-0.
On day three, the Rebels remained unlucky, especially against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame and Mississippi Rebels. UNLV had the game nearly wrapped up against Notre Dame with two out in the bottom of the seventh, but witnessed a dropped pop fly keep the game alive long enough for the Fighting Irish to even the score at 3-3. Notre Dame wound up winning the game, 4-3, with a run in the bottom of the eighth. The Rebels losing streak reached three games with a 5-3 loss to Mississippi later that night. Ole Miss took a commanding 5-0 lead, but watched as UNLV loaded the bases in the sixth and score two runs with help from the pitcher's inability to hit the strike zone. UNLV was handed to free runs with two bases loaded walks. UNLV got a third run with help from two errors committed on one play and a single.
In the Rebels finale of the Classic, UNLV scored the only run of the game with help from a walk and back-to-back wild pitches. Jaci Hull led off the game with a walk and made her way to second on a successful steal attempt. Hull took third and home on wild pitches thrown to Sandy Nakamura and Brittany Meade.
In the three year history of UNLV playing in the Classic, the Rebels hold an overall record of 7-9. The 2005 and 2006 squads held identical 2-3 marks in the two previous trips to Cathedral City, Calif.
Palm Springs Classic Offense: In UNLV's six games at the Palm Springs Classic, the Rebels hit at a .285 clip with 49 hits in 172 at-bats. Of those 49 hits, only five went for extra-bases, one home run and four doubles. The Rebels tallied 16 RBI and scored 23 runs.
Bri Bernardi led the Rebels in hitting with her .421 average. Bernardi went 8-for-19 at the plate with one double and eight RBI.
Brittany Meade hit for a .318 average (7-for-22) and knocked in two RBI, while scoring one run.
Kendall Fearn hit .300 with six hits in 20 at-bats. Fearn cranked out UNLV's only home run of the weekend and picked up one of the team's four doubles. She led the team with five RBI on the weekend.
Sandy Nakamura collected three hits in 10 at-bats in mostly a pinch-hitting role. Nakamura did move to the designated player role for the final two games. She had one RBI.
Palm Springs Classic Pitching: In UNLV's six games at the Palm Springs Classic, the Rebel hurlers went 3-3 and amassed an ERA of .3.86. In 42.0 innings of work, the staff allowed 18 earned runs on 54 hits.
Stephanie Bregante led the staff with a 2-1 record in four appearances. Bregante got her first win of the weekend by pitching a scoreless eighth inning against Virginia. She suffered a 2-0 loss to Cal Poly, but came back strong with a complete-game shut out of Maryland, in which she struck out a season/career-high nine batters. On the weekend, she K'd 20 batters to only walking one.
Heather Slettvet went 1-1 in four appearances on the weekend. Slettvet came out of the bullpen in a relief role against Penn State and held on for the 9-8 win. Against Notre Dame, she was one out from recording a 3-1 victory, but a two-out error kept the game alive for the Fighting Irish to tie the game and eventually win it. On the weekend, she walked only two, while striking out 10.
Following The Rebels: All of UNLV's softball games can be viewed live through the CSTV's GameTracker links provided on the softball schedule page at UNLVRebels.com.
The Rebels will make four appearances on national and regional television, with games being aired on CSTV and The Mtn.
The April 5th doubleheader vs. Utah in Las Vegas will be aired live on The Mtn. UNLV's games at San Diego State (May 5) and BYU (May 10 - game one of doubleheader) will be shown on CSTV.
