May 8, 2010
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS - The UNLV Rebels (30-20 overall, 7-5 MWC) suffered a 14-8 loss to the Mountain West Conference-leading BYU Cougars (40-11, 11-3 MWC) Saturday afternoon on "Senior Day" at Eller Media Stadium. The Rebels scored at least one run in five of the game's seven innings, but those tallies weren't enough to overcome BYU's offensive that saw them score a minimum of three runs in four frames.
The Rebels staked themselves to a one-run lead in the first inning after Kendall Fearn recorded an RBI-single to right to score Ashli Holland from second. Holland led off the frame with a bunt single and moved into scoring position after a wild pitch tossed by Paige Affleck (28-8).
BYU countered with three runs of its own in the top of the third. The Cougars loaded the bases after two singles and a walk. Andrea Ramirez and Caschjen Davis-Atagi then recorded back-to-back run-scoring fielder's choices before Jessica Purcell-Fitu capped the scoring with an RBI-single to center field.
UNLV got one run back in the fourth when Tara Bendt stepped up with the bases juiced and hit a misplayed grounder to Kristin Delahoussaye at second. Marissa Nichols, who initially reached on a hit-by-pitch, scored on the error after consecutive single by Laura Briones and Erica Addison.
The Cougars answered back with four runs in the fifth to push out to a 7-2 lead. BYU got its first two runners on base via a single and a walk. UNLV then went to the bullpen and brought Jessica O'Connor in to pitch in relief of Kylie Wagner (11-6). O'Connor managed to get the first two batters she faced out, but then allowed Purcell-Fitu to connect on her second RBI-single to center on the day and a couple batters later a three-run double to left by Amanda Vance-Kellum. Traci Odegard was then brought into the game to relieve O'Connor.
Jaci Hull pulled UNLV within four at 7-3 with a score in the fifth. She led off the single up the middle and moved over to third on wild pitches thrown during an at-bat by Briones. Alyssia De La Torre knocked Hull in with a single to left.
Unfortunately, BYU extended its lead to 11-3 in the sixth with four in the top half before UNLV kept the game alive with a run in the bottom half.
The Cougars put three more runs on the board in the seventh with help from Angeline Quiocho's opposite-field home run to right.
De La Torre and Holland combined for four RBI in the bottom of the seventh, but it wasn't enough when the final out was recorded. Nichols led off the inning with a fly to left that was dropped by Davis-Atagi. She then took third on a wild pitch before De La Torre's second RBI-single of the contest. Bendt joined De La Torre on the bases after reaching on a throwing error by Quiocho at third. Holland then delivered a three-run homer to left-center to pull UNLV within six at 14-8.
Affleck picked up the win for BYU tossing a complete game. She was touched for eight runs (three earned) on 10 hits. She struck out eight and walked three.
Wagner was saddled with the loss after tossing a total of 5.2 innings in the game. She allowed eight runs on six hits. She walked six and struck out three.
O'Connor and Odegard combined for 1.1 innings of relief. They gave up six runs (five earned) on five hits with one strikeout and two walks.
UNLV is back in action Thursday, May 13 at 5:00 pm MT (4:00 pm PT) when they travel to Albuquerque, N.M., for a conference contest against the New Mexico Lobos.
