May 15, 2009
Final Stats
LOS ANGELES - The UNLV Rebels (31-20) dropped its first-round game of the NCAA Tournament Friday afternoon in Los Angeles to the #25 Fresno State Bulldogs (37-18) by a 2-1 margin. The Rebels struck first with a run in the second, but watched as the Bulldogs scored two unanswered the following two innings.
UNLV notched the game's first run with a tally in the top of the second from the bat of Elena Fata. The Rebels got their offense going with back-to-back, two-out hits from Laura Briones and Fata from Morgan Melloh (29-14) offerings. Briones hit a double to right that Lisamarie Coronado tried to corral with a dive, but was unable as the ball skittered away. Fata followed with a single to left that brought Briones home.
Fresno State answered back in the bottom of the third with an RBI-single by Caitlin Stiglich off Stephanie Bregante (11-6). Haley Gilleland began the offensive with a double to left and later came around to score the equalizing run on a single to center by Stiglich.
The Bulldogs took a 2-1 lead with a score in the fourth. FS put its first two batters on with help from a walk and hit batter by Bregante. With the runners on first and second, Traci Odegard was summoned from the bullpen in relief of Bregante. Odegard's first batter sacrificed both runners into scoring position, while Gilleland notched the go-ahead hit with a slow-rolling single to short.
"I'd like to credit the Fresno State pitcher (Malloh)," said UNLV head coach Pete Manarino. "We just need to keep fighting and go from there. It was a good game. Neither team made an error. We just need to keep our heads up and go from there."
Melloh went the distance for the Bulldogs, as she picked up the win in a complete-game effort. She allowed one run on six hits, but fanned 16 Rebels with two walks.
Bregante suffered the loss in 3.0 frames of a start. She surrendered both runs on three hits. She struck out four and walked three.
Odegard tossed 3.0 innings of relief. She was touched for three hits, but did not allow a run.She struck out two and walked one.
This was the first game that UNLV had out-hit its opponent, but did not win. The Rebels now own a 24-1 mark in contests it out-hits the opposition.
UNLV will return to action Saturday at the Los Angeles Regional with a 3:30 pm game vs. either Long Beach State or the #2-national seed UCLA Bruins. The loser of Friday's LBSU-UCLA contest will face UNLV Saturday afternoon.
