April 5, 2007
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS - The UNLV softball team (26-16 overall, 2-0 MWC) opened up Mountain West Conference play with two different styles of victories over Utah (19-14-1, 0-2 MWC). In the first game of the doubleheader versus Utah, the Rebels rallied for a 3-2 win after trailing 2-0 for most of the contest. In game two, UNLV took a 2-0 lead and had to stave off Utah's come back attempts for a 2-1 win.
In the first game, Utah took a quick 2-0 lead on two-out, two-run home run by Hailey Davenport off of Christie Robinson that hit off the scoreboard in left field. Kristie Keller scored on the blast after reaching on an error by Jaci Hull at short.
Stephanie Bregante (8-6) entered the game in relief of Robinson in the top of the second and held the Utes scoreless the remaining 5.2 innings. Bregante struck out six, while allowing on two hits and three walks in her relief appearance.
Utah's Meghan Dyer was cruising through five innings of work, but ran into complications in the sixth. UNLV's offense decided to wake up and stuck the hurler for three runs in the bottom half of the frame. Hull avenged for her earlier error by smacking a home run over the outer fence of Eller Media Stadium. Kelli Fangonilo kept the offensive rolling with a single up the middle. After Fangonilo stole second and then took third on a wild pitch, Brittany Bolinger knocked her in with a triple to center. Bolinger wound up scoring on a throwing error by Staci Hemingway at short on a grounder put in play by Brittany Meade.
Dyer (13-8) tossed 6.0 innings and struck out 13, which included nine straight, in the contest, but was unfortunate to take the loss. She allowed all three runs (two earned) on three hits, while walking only one.
Game two featured a pitchers' duel between Heather Slettvet (7-5) and Utah's Karina Cannon (6-6). Slettvet struck out a season-high 12 batters in the win. Cannon K'd seven Rebels in defeat.
Unfortunately, Cannon had to exit the game in the top of the sixth, due to an injury after sliding back into first base on a pick-off attempt.
UNLV struck for two runs in the fifth off of one hit and one Utah error. Bri Bernardi led off the inning with a walk and was then pinch-run for by Alyssia De La Torre, who promptly stole second. Brittany Freight then hit a grounder to Cannon that was thrown wide past Kara Foster covering first. De La Torre wound up scoring on the errant throw, while Freight moved to second. Hull then came up and delivered a double down the right field line to knock Freight in for a two-run lead.
In the sixth, Utah got solo homer from Hemingway to cut the deficit to one.
Slettvet wound up shutting down the Utes attack the rest of the way to hold onto the win. She gave up seven hits in the game, while walking only one.
Cannon tossed the firs 5.0 innings in the loss, while allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits.
Dyer relieved Cannon in the circle after Cannon was unable to comeback after her injury. Dyer tossed a scoreless sixth and struck out two.
UNLV returns to action on Friday night (7:00 pm) against BYU. The Rebels and Cougars then face one another on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 pm. Saturday has been billed as the Fourth Annual Strike Out Cancer Day, as the Rebels team with the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation in the fight against cancer.
