April 10, 2009

Final Stats

LAS VEGAS - The UNLV Rebels (24-13 overall, 1-2 Mountain West) needed extra innings to defeat the New Mexico Lobos (10-26, 1-3) by a 8-7 final Friday night in windy conditions at Eller Media Stadium. More importantly, the win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Rebels and gave the squad its first win in league play. Ashli Holland, who recorded the last game-winning hit for UNLV in a win over Sacramento State on March 21, stepped up with the bases loaded and drilled a line drive through the left side to end the eight-inning affair.

With winds whipping upwards of 25 mph, the Rebels were able to notch 11 hits, all of which stayed within the confines of Eller Media Stadium, while the Lobos went deep on three occasions.

UNLV came to bat in the bottom of the eighth after thwarting UNM's attempt at taking a one-run lead by throwing out Shenise Cox at the plate for the final out in the top of the frame. The Rebels had their leadoff hitter up first and watched Alyssia De La Torre take first on a single through the right side from a Kerry Hodgins (3-2) offering. De La Torre moved over to third following a sacrifice bunt by Brittany Bolinger and a ground out by Marissa Nichols.

With De La Torre on third, UNM head coach Ty Singleton elected to intentionally walk Jaci Hull and Kendall Fearn to load the bases. Holland stepped up and ratcheted her third single of the game for the game winner to plate De La Torre. The three base knocks helped extend Holland's hitting streak to six games.

UNLV got into the precarious position of having to play extra innings after watching a 7-4 lead evaporate in the top of the seventh. The Lobos strung together three hits and got a sacrifice fly in the inning to tie the game at 7-7. UNM loaded the bases following consecutive infield singles and a walk for Samantha Hughes, who delivered a cue shot single down the left-field line to pull her squad within one at 6-4. Katie Gilmore pulled the game even at 7-7 with a sacrifice fly to right.

The Rebels got off to a great start with two runs in the first off of two hits and four errors committed by the Lobo defense. De La Torre and Bolinger scored for UNLV after initially reaching on a walk and a fielder's choice. When Marissa Nichols stepped to the plate the barrage of errant play began for the visitors. Nichols hit a grounder to Cristin Anderson at second, who picked up a fielding and throwing error on the play. De La Torre scored on the errors, while Bolinger quickly followed off a fly ball to Hull that was thrown towards the UNM dugout.

The Lobos answered back in the third with a two-run shot by Hughes, which tied the game at 2-2. Cox led off the inning with a double and scored two batters later on Hughes' bomb.

The Rebels took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third on a bases-loaded fielder's choice put in play by Kendall Fearn. Bolinger began the inning after reaching on a fielding error moved base-to-base following a single and a walk.

UNM went back to using the long ball in the fourth to put runs on the scoreboard, as Katie Gilmore and Erin Brandow cranked solo shots. The home runs spelled the end of Stephanie Bregante's night in the circle and summoned Jessica O'Connor from the bullpen.

O'Connor (9-3) held the Lobos at bay for two innings before they touched her up for three runs in the seventh. She picked up the win in 4.2 frames of relief, while allowing three runs on five hits. She fanned five and walked two.

UNLV put four runs on the board between the fifth and sixth innings with help from five hits and two errors. In the fifth, Holland and Laura Briones notched back-to-back RBI-singles to give the home team a 5-4 lead. The lead ballooned to 7-4 in the sixth with a two-run triple by Hull, which scored Nichols and De La Torre.

Hodgins suffered the loss for UNM in 4.2 innings of her relief stint. She surrendered five runs, two earned on eight hits. She walked three, as well.

UNLV is back in action on Saturday, April 11 (6:00 pm), when they welcome the Colorado State Rams (17-19 overall, 1-2 MWC) to Las Vegas.

Notes:

1) Jaci Hull became UNLV's all-time walks leader with 112 for her career. Hull recorded two free passes on Friday night to give her 15 for the year. In the two previous years, she recorded 46 (2007) and 43 (2008) for the top two spots in the single-season records.

2) This was UNLV's first extra-inning game since a 6-5, nine-inning tussle with Cal State Northridge on Feb. 16, 2008. It was the first extra-inning game in MWC play for UNLV since a 5-3, nine-inning affair at Colorado State on April 15, 2008.