Feb. 16, 2008
UNLV 6, Cal State Northridge 5 (9)
UNLV 8, Cal State Bakersfield 5
LAS VEGAS - The 23rd-ranked UNLV Rebels (7-1-1) swept its games vs. squads from the Golden State Saturday night in the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic at Eller Media Stadium. The Rebels had to play nine innings to defeat the Cal State Northridge Matadors by a 6-5 final tally, while they took care of the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners, 8-5.
UNLV hurler Traci Odegard registered both wins on the day in relief. In total, she threw 6.2 combined innings and allowed seven hits. Three runs scored while she was in the circle, but all went down in the scorebook as unearned.
In the first game of the day, UNLV fell behind to the Matadors five to three after the sixth inning, but rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings. After a scoreless eighth inning the Rebels got the winning run in the bottom of the ninth on a single by Alyssia De La Torre.
CSUN took an early 1-0 lead in the fifth, but watched UNLV rally for three in the bottom of the inning. Ashli Holland knocked a single to right to score Stefani Sanchez and Caitlyn Paus, who were on third and second, respectively. Holland wound up scoring off of a fielding error on a ball hit by Brittany Bolinger.
The Matadors used three hits and two Rebel errors to score four runs in the sixth. Micah Putnam pulled CSUN within one run at 3-2 on a solo home run to open the inning off of Stephanie Bregante. Following the home run, CSUN loaded up the bases and scored the remaining two runs with help from a throwing error and a fielding error.
The Rebels countered in the seventh to knot the score at 7-7. De La Torre stepped up with two out and delivered a single between short and third, which was mishandled by Tracy Allen. Holland scored easily from third, while Bolinger sped around the bases from second to tie the game.
In the ninth, Heather Slettvet was placed on second due to the international tie breaker. Slettvet wound up moving to third by a sacrifice bunt. She scored the winning run on De La Torre's single.
Odegard threw 3.2 innings and gave up two runs (both unearned). She improved to 2-0 with the win.
In the second game of the day UNLV needed a five-run fifth inning to take control of the game. Bakersfield took a 1-0 lead in the first off of a double and a single.
The Rebels fought back with two runs in the second off of one hit and three Roadrunner errors. Rosa Ordaz led off the inning with a single and took second on a sacrifice bunt by Paus. Chey Farley hit a ball to second, which was bobbled by Cara Klein at second. Ordaz came around to score the Rebels' first run of the game. Klein booted a ball put in play by Holland to allow Farley to score.
Jaci Hull extended the Rebels' lead to 3-1 with a home run in the third. It was Hull's fifth home run in this early season.
Bakersfield scattered five hits in the fourth to take a 4-3 lead.
UNLV matched CSUB's out put in the fourth with its own five-run frame in the fifth. With the bases loaded, Hull walked in the first run of the inning. An error by Heather Veitch at short allowed a second run to score. Ordaz then singled up the middle to score De La Torre and Hull. Brittany Meade plated the final run on a single to bring in Ordaz.
The Rebels return to action on Sunday, in the final day of the Classic, with a 11:15 am tilt vs. Kansas.
