March 6, 2010
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS - The UNLV Rebels (12-7) broke open a 4-4 game with a grand slam by Kendall Fearn in the fifth and never looked back in their 9-6 victory over the New Mexico State Aggies (10-8) Saturday night at the Eller Media Stadium Classic. Fearn led the Rebels with a career-high five RBI off of two hits. She was joined in the multiple-hit department by Marissa Nichols and Laura Briones, as each collected two apiece.
UNLV started the game off quickly and on a good note, as Nichols cranked a solo homer to left for a 1-0 lead off. Carissa Theis then plunked Tara Bendt to keep the offense going. Jaci Hull stepped up and delivered a hard single to right that was misplayed by Amber Olive. The error brought Bendt all the way home, while Hull motored over to third. Fearn then delivered a double to left center to move the home squad up 3-0. Theis was then pulled from the circle in favor of Sarah Byrne (0-1), who was quickly greeted by an RBI-single by Briones.
The Aggies pulled even with two scores in the third and two more in the fifth.
The Rebels recaptured their four-run lead in the bottom half of the fifth on Fearn's granny. Fearn stepped up with Chey Farley, Hull and Ashli Holland occupying each base. Once again, NMSU pulled its pitcher for a new reliever (Torrey Schroeder).
Nichols manufactured an insurance run in the sixth nearly by herself. She reached base on a one-out single. She then took second on a wild pitch, third on a ground out and home on another wild pitch.
NMSU attempted a rally in the seventh, but fell short although they scored twice.
Traci Odegard (3-4) picked up the win for UNLV in 2.1 innings of relief. Odegard entered in the fifth and allowed two unearned runs with two strikeouts.
Kylie Wagner, who started for UNLV, earned a no-decision on 4.2 innings of a start. Wagner was touched for four runs on five hits with three walks and one strikeout.
Byrne was stuck with the loss in 4.0 innings of work. She allowed four runs on five hits. She struck out two and walked one.
The other two NMSU hurlers combined for two innings pitched, five runs, four hits, three strikeouts and one walk.
The Rebels are back in action Sunday afternoon at 2:30 pm, when they host #13 California in the finale of the EMS Classic.
