May 16, 2009
LOS ANGELES - The UNLV Rebels (31-21) season came to a close in the NCAA Tournament at UCLA's Easton Stadium in a four-hour long marathon against the Long Beach State 49ers (35-20). All four of the game's runs came off home runs with the 49ers ultimately hitting the game-winner in the 13th inning for the 3-1 victory.
The contest was a game of attrition, as the teams combined to leave 27 runners stranded through the baker's dozen of innings played. The Rebels left eight in scoring position, which included a bases-loaded situation in the 13th. The 49ers had seven left behind, six of which were with the bases loaded.
Ultimately, someone had to score and it wound up being LBSU off a two-run home run by Danielle Linke in the 13th. Linke stepped up with a runner on first and two out and hit the game-winner to right-center to end the contest.
The first runs of the game came from blasts by the shortstops. Ashley Levine broke a scoreless tie in the second stanza with a solo shot off Bregante in the second, while Jaci Hull followed suit four innings later off Taylor Petty.
For an instant everyone in the stadium thought UNLV had taken a 3-1 lead in the top of the eighth inning when Kendall Fearn hit a round-tripper deep to left with Hull stationed on first base. Unfortunately, the first-base umpire deemed that Hull had left the base early, which created a dead-ball situation. The home run was cancelled and Fearn continued her at-bat with Hull called out.
Bregante threw a combined 5.1 innings, as she pitched the first two frames and later re-entered in relief in the 10th. She allowed all three runs on four hits. She struck out six and walked two.
Brooke Turner (18-12) earned the win in 6.2 frames of relief. She surrendered six hits and held the Rebels scoreless. She added four strikeouts to her resume with one walk.
Traci Odegard tossed the middle 7.1 stanzas for UNLV. Odegard followed Turner's lead and held her opponents in check without giving a run on five hits. She struck out five and walked five.
Petty, who started for LBSU, went 6.1 innings and was touched for the only run the 49ers allowed. UNLV go four hits off of her, while she struck out four and walked one.
