March 5, 2010
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS - The UNLV Rebels (10-7) went 1-1 during the first day of the Eller Media Stadium Classic with a 10-9 loss to the Portland State Vikings (6-8) followed by a 8-0, five-inning win over the Weber State Wildcats (0-12). Jaci Hull led the Rebels offensively with a .571 batting average, two home runs and five RBI. Jessica O'Connor tossed 7.0 scoreless innings compiled on the day that included a five-inning, one-hitter against Weber State.
After scoring nine runs in defeat to Portland State in their first game of the day, the Rebels kept the offense revving with eight runs against the Wildcats. UNLV was held scoreless in the first, but managed to put up its eight tallies from the second through the fifth innings.
Alyssia De La Torre put UNLV up for good with a sacrifice fly in the second that scored Laura Briones from third. Briones led off the inning with a walk and made her way into scoring position following a double by Kendall Fearn.
UNLV pushed its lead to 3-0 with two runs in the third. With Marissa Nichols on base, Hull delivered her second opposite-field shot of the day.
The Rebels added three more to the scoreboard in the fourth off of two hits. UNLV loaded the bases to end WSU's BreAnn Jones' (0-3) day in the circle and summon Angela DeVries from the bullpen. DeVries got Tara Bendt to ground into a fielder's choice, but the play at the play wasn't perfect and allowed Tayler Aleman to score. Ashli Holland followed Bendt's at-bat with a two-run single up the middle to plate Korin Cuico and Nichols.
In the fifth, UNLV got two runs aided by first career hits by Samantha Henry and Amber Petersen. De La Torre reached on a fielder's choice and moved into scoring position via a wild pitch. Henry, who was pinch-hitting for Cuico, then doubled down the line in right to score De La Torre. Cuico was then inserted back in the lineup only to watch Nichols walk. Peteresen then stepped up as a pinch-hitter and smashed a ball to deep center that allowed Cuico to score.
O'Connor (2-1) picked up the win in 5.0 innings of work. She struck out four, walked one and allowed one hit, while facing 17 batters.
Jones (0-3) was stuck with the loss in 3.1 frames pitched. She was touched for six runs on seven hits and three walks.
De Vries allowed two runs on three hits and three walks in one inning tossed.
In UNLV's first game, the home squad went down 7-0 after two innings only to watch its offense come alive in the third inning.
Kylie Wagner gave up six runs (five earned) on seven hits in 1.1 innings of her start before handing the ball over to Traci Odegard (2-4) in the second. Odegard shut Portland State over three innings to allow the Rebel offense time to regroup.
UNLV got three runs back in the second with help from four hits and a PSU error. Hull stepped up with runners on the corners and hit a single to right center. Chey Farley scored from third, while Bendt motored to third with ease before coming home on an errant throw. With Hull sitting on third, Holland delivered an RBI-single through the left side for the third tally.
Back-to-back singles by Aleman and De La Torre spelled the end of Tori Rodgers day in the circle for PSU and brought Nichole Latham into the game. Latham was quickly greeted by a three-run home run by Nichols to center to pull UNLV within one at 7-6.
Briones tied the game up at 7-7 with an RBI-triple in the fifth that scored Laura King from second. King, who was pinch-running after Fearn singled, moved into scoring position after a sacrifice bunt by Holland.
PSU's offense came back to life in the sixth with three decisive runs. The Vikings got the trio of scores off three hits and one Rebel error. Danielle Lynn hit a two-run double off Odegard to put PSU up 9-7. Odegard was then pulled in favor of O'Connor, who gave up a run-scoring single to Brandi Scoggins for the 10th run of the game.
UNLV rallied back in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run homer by Hull that brought in Nichols after a walk.
The Rebels attempted to tie the game up in the bottom of the seventh, but fell short with the tying run left stranded when the third out was recorded.
Odegard was saddled with the loss in 3.2 innings of relief. She allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits, while fanning three.
Anna Bertrand (4-2) picked up the win for the Vikings in 2.2 innings tossed. Bertrand gave up two runs on two hits. She struck out three and walked two.
The Rebels are back in action Saturday with two games at Eller Media Stadium. UNLV will take on Portland State at 11:15 am before facing New Mexico State at 3:45 pm.
