March 5, 2011

Box Score: UNLV 7, Bradley 1

Box Score: UNLV 10, Kansas 1 (5)

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV Rebels (10-7) picked up a pair of victories Saturday during the Eller Media Stadium Classic. UNLV knocked off the Bradley Braves (5-13) by a 7-1 score prior to a 10-1, run-rule win over the Kansas Jayhawks (15-3).

UNLV's offense was propelled by seven players hitting .400 or better on the day with six scattering two or more hits. Tayler Van Acker and Ashli Holland each collected four hits on the day with the former hitting .571 to the latter's .500. Rayna Bradshaw, who hit .500 (2-for-4) led the squad in RBI with five, while Stefany Valentino (.429, 3-for-7) had three RBI and scored three times, as well.

Rebel hurlers combined for a 1.17 ERA in twelve innings of work Saturday. Kylie Wagner threw seven frames in the win over Bradley, while Amanda Oliveto only needed to pitch five for the "W" against Kansas. Each pitcher gave up one run and struck out five in their impressive efforts in the circle.

Game 1 - Bradley: UNLV staked itself to a five-run lead after the first inning and never looked back en route to a 7-1 victory over Bradley. The early lead was all Wagner (1-0) needed as she cruised to her first win of 2011. Wagner struck out five, walked two and allowed one run on five hits.

The Rebels began their offensive in the first with help from only two hits and an error. Valentino led off the first with a walk and quickly moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt put in play by Paige Emerson. Valentino was joined a bit later after a single by Holland and a walk issued to Pauline Monreal. Korin Cuico then hit a grounder to BU shortstop Alex Chandler, who misplayed the ball and allowed Valentino to score. With the bases loaded, Lindsay Hufeld uncorked a wild pitch that moved all runners up a base and scored Holland. Bradshaw then capped UNLV's first-inning output with a three-run home run to left.

UNLV tacked on insurance runs in the third and sixth innings to push its lead to 6-0. Bradshaw picked up her fourth RBI of the game with an RBI-single in the third. Valentino added the final run with a solo blast to right in the sixth.

The Braves' lone score came in the seventh on a sacrifice fly.

Hufeld (1-7) was saddled with the loss in six innings of work. She was touched for seven runs, but only two were earned. She allowed nine hits, walked three and fanned five.

Game 2 - Kansas: UNLV began the game against Kansas much similar to the opening of the Bradley affair. The Rebels struck for two runs in the first and then added six in the third for an insurmountable 8-0 lead through three frames. The Jayhawks finally put a run on the scoreboard in the fourth only to see the home team notch two of its own for a nine-run cushion.

Emerson got things moving along in the first with a one-out triple down the line in right off KU hurler Kristin Martinez (7-1). She scored with ease from third on a single up the middle by Holland, who motored around the base paths for the second run of the frame on Van Acker's Texas League single to center. Holland took third once the ball landed safely and then headed home when KU centerfielder Alex Jones uncorked an errant throw to third base.

The Rebels blew the game open in the third with six scores off of four hits. Martinez worked herself into a jam when she allowed back-to-back singles to Van Acker and Monreal before consecutively plunking Cuico and Bradshaw to push the lead to 3-0. After hitting Bradshaw, Martinez's was replaced in the circle by Ashley Spencer, who was quickly welcomed to the game by Heather Harrison's two-run single to deep center. Following a walk that loaded the bases, Valentino laced a double to left to bring home two more runs. Emerson recorded the sixth RBI of the inning when she grounded out to second.

Kansas' lone run came in the fourth when they strung together two hits and a helpful ground out. Brittany Hile nailed a double to left-center and took third on the ground ball. Hile scored on Mariah Montgomery's single up the middle.

Holland closed out UNLV's 10-run outing with a two-run single in the seventh that scored Montoya and Valentino.

Martinez was stuck with the loss in two innings of work. She was touched for six runs on seven hits. Spencer threw two stanzas and allowed four runs on four hits, but also walked six.

Note: Emerson extended her career-best hitting streak to nine games with a hit in each contest Saturday.

UNLV returns to action Sunday afternoon in the Classic's finale against San Jose State at 2:30 pm.