May 6, 2007
Final Stats
SAN DIEGO - The UNLV softball team improved to 35-25 overall with its 1-0, Mountain West Conference win over the San Diego State Aztecs (30-22 overall, 6-10 MWC) on Sunday afternoon. The victory moves the Rebels to 10-6 in league play. UNLV trails the BYU Cougars in for first place in the MWC standings by three games with four to play.
The Rebels jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead when Kendall Fearn smashed a two-out double to right field to score Brittany Bolinger from first. Bolinger registered the game's first hit with a single through the middle off of SDSU's Christina Ross.
The game turned into a pitcher's dual with neither team being able to score the remainder of the game. Ross (21-12) kept the Rebel bats at bay by striking out 11 and allowing only three hits the rest of the contest.
Christie Robinson (13-5) notched the win for the Rebels in complete-game fashion. Robinson allowed four hits in all, but got into some trouble by walking four.
SDSU wound up leaving eight runners on base in the game, including three stranded at third. The Aztecs left a runner at third in the second and fifth innings, before getting their best opportunity to score in the seventh.
Robinson walked Christina Hollingshead to lead off the seventh. Katy Erickson entered the game to pinch-run for Hollingshead and made her way to third when Christine Kulick dropped down a sacrifice bunt. Fean fielded the bunt cleanly, but tossed wildly to Kelli Fangonilo covering first base. Kulick was then pinch-ran for by Dani Sidoti. With runners on the corners Amanda Beasley tried a squeeze bunt, but Robinson jumped on the ball quick enough to toss it to Bri Bernardi covering home for the tag of Erickson. Robinson loaded the bases with a walk to Brittany Knudson.
With the bases loaded, Tamani Wells stepped up and grounded a weak ball to Fearn running up the first base line. Fearn fielded the ball and fired home to force Sidoti out at home. Wells stopped running to first to watch the action and wound up getting thrown out at first to end the ball game.
Robinson now leads the Rebel, pitching staff with 13 wins.
The Rebels stay on the road for their final regular season trip beginning on Thursday, April 10th. UNLV will play a doubleheader at BYU on Thursday evening in Provo, Utah. The first game is scheduled for a 6:00 pm first pitch and will be aired live on CSTV. The Rebels then head to Salt Lake City to play the Utah Utes in a two-game set on Saturday and Sunday.
