March 13, 2010
Final Stats
LAKEWOOD, Calif. - The UNLV Rebels (16-9) dropped a 4-1 decision to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (15-5) early Saturday evening at the Long Beach State Invitational at Mayfair Park. Notre Dame scored twice early and staved off a Rebel rally en route to its win. The loss snapped UNLV's four-game winning streak.
Notre Dame went up 1-0 after scoring a run in the bottom of the first off of two extra base hits. Sadie Pitzenberger led off the game with a triple off of Kylie Wagner (6-2) and eventually scored on a double down the line in left by Heather Johnson.
The Fighting Irish added a second run in the third with help from Pitzenberger, once again. She led off the inning with a single and moved around the base path following a sacrifice bunt, a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Erin Marrone came up with an RBI-single to score Pitzenberger from third.
UNLV fought back in the fifth with a two-out rally that scored one run. Following consecutive strikeouts, Alyssia De La Torre doubled to left to get things going. Marissa Nichols followed with a walk to put two on for Paige Emerson, who hit a texas leaguer that fell in between first and second. The hit was good enough for an RBI-single that scored De La Torre and left runners at first and second. Unfortunately, Jody Valdivia (10-2) got the third out via strikeout before UNLV could do any more damage.
UND added two insurance runs in the sixth to increase its lead to the final three-run margin. Marrone led off with a double to left and took third on a sacrifice bunt. An RBI-single by Dani Miller knocked in Marrone. Miller was then pinch ran for by Brianna Jorgensborg, who a few batters later scored on a single by Pitzenberger.
Valdivia earned the win in complete-game fashion for the Fighting Irish. She allowed one run on four hits. She struck out 10 and walked two.
Wagner was saddled with the loss in 5.2 innings of work. She was touched for four runs on 10 hits, while walking two and fanning one.
Jessica O'Connor relieved Wagner for the final out of the sixth inning.
The Rebels are back in action Sunday afternoon with a single contest against the Buffalo Bulls (1:30 pm) at Mayfair Park.
