Feb. 12, 2011
Box Score: Washington 17, UNLV 13
Box Score: UIC 4, UNLV 2
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV Rebels (2-2) lost both of its games Saturday on the second day of the Sportco Kick-Off Classic at Eller Media Stadium. UNLV suffered a 17-13 loss in a high-scoring affair to the #10 Washington Huskies (4-0) before a 4-2 setback to the Illinois-Chicago Flames (2-1).
Tayler Aleman led the Rebels offensively with a .714 batting average and 5-for-7 combined performance on the day. Aleman, who went 5-for-8 Friday night, smashed two home runs, knocked in three RBI and scored three runs Saturday. She scattered three hits against the Huskies and two more vs. the Flames.
Paige Emerson went 3-for-8 Saturday and hit .375. Emerson hit a grand slam against UW and added three runs to her four-RBI effort.
Against UW, the Huskies broke open a tied game with 12 runs combined in the final two innings to stake themselves to a 17-5 lead after UNLV had tied the affair up at 5-5 off a three-run home run by Pauline Monreal in the fifth. The Rebels mounted a frenzied comeback attempt in their final at-bat. They scored eight runs off of eight hits, but it wasn't enough.
Washington was staked to a quick 3-0 lead by Jerrin Fa'asua in the opening stanza before UNLV countered with two runs thanks to RBI-singles from both Jaexie Balilea and Korin Cuico.
The Huskies added two runs to their lead with one each coming in the second and fifth innings. Kimi Pohlman was responsible for the first score with an RBI-single, while Fa'asua notched the other with an RBI-single of her own.
Monreal evened things up in the Rebels half of the fifth. Emerson and Aleman scored on the game-tying home run after they reached via singles.
Jenn Salling put UW up for good with a two-run double in the sixth, while Morgan Stuart added a third tally when she walked with the bases loaded.
The visitors then broke out the bats in the seventh to up their lead to 12.
Aleman began the Rebel barrage in the seventh with a lead-off home run. Four other players recorded RBI in the stanza with Emerson's grand slam highlighting the scoring. Rayna Bradshaw, Christina Montoya and Balilea had one RBI each, as well.
Kaitlin Inglesby improved to 2-0 for the Huskies in 6.1 innings of work. Inglesby was touched for 10 runs (nine earned) on 10 hits, while striking out five and walking four.
Jessica O'Connor was touched for the loss after she allowed six runs on eight hits. O'Connor walked four and struck out two in 5.1 innings.
Against UIC, UNLV stepped out to a 2-0 lead after a two-run blast by Aleman in the first, but witnessed the Flames score four unanswered down the stretch for the come-from-behind win.
UIC used the long ball to knot the score at 2-2 in the fourth with help from a two-run dinger by Natalie Hernandez off an offering from Amanda Oliveto (1-1).
The Flames' Ashley Hewett was credited with the go-ahead RBI in the seventh with a single up the middle that scored Melinda Macias, who initially reached base after being walked by Oliveto. O'Connor entered the contest following Macias' walk and gave up a single to put runners on first and second for Hewett. Jenna Marsalli accounted for the fourth and final run with an RBI-single of her own.
Oliveto took the loss in 6.0 innings of work. She gave up three runs on seven hits. She walked four and struck out four.
Devin Miller (1-1) threw a complete game and settled down after Aleman's homer. UNLV only had three more hits after the first inning.
UNLV returns to action next week in its own Louisville Slugger Desert Classic. The Rebels face in-state rival Nevada, Reno on Jan. 17, at 6:00 pm. They will play a total of five games in the three-day event.
