March 6, 2011
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV Rebels (11-7) overcame defensive miscues Sunday afternoon in their 3-2 come-from-behind win over the San Jose State Spartans (9-11) in the finale of the Eller Media Stadium Classic. UNLV's offense was dormant for the first five innings, but came alive down the stretch with three runs and six of the team's eight hits in the final three innings. The win was the fourth straight for the Rebels and also improved their record in extra-inning contests this season to 3-0.
After watching the Spartans take a 2-1 lead in the top half of the eighth, the Rebels fought back with two runs and three hits of their own. Ashli Holland led off the inning with a fly out to right that pushed Paige Emerson to third after she had been placed on second base with the international tiebreaker rule put into effect. Tayler Van Acker followed with an RBI-double to left that easily scored Emerson to knot the game up at 2-all. Pauline Monreal then pushed Van Acker to third with a single of her own to left. Tayler Aleman then ended the game when she hit a run-scoring dribbler to short and beat out Jackie Zepeda's throw to first.
San Jose State took a 1-0 lead after its at bat in the first inning with help from two hits and a fielding error. Sadie Coenen led off the game with a single up the middle and made her way around the bases with help from the error, a passed ball and an RBI-single by Cheryl Freitas.
The Rebel offense was held in-check for the first five innings by SJSU's Elyssa Fox (2-5), who had only allowed two hits and forced UNLV to leave five runners on the bases.
Fox was stuck with a bit of misfortune from her defense in the sixth when UNLV tied the game up at 1-all. Fox got the first two batters out, but gave up a Texas League single to Van Acker to pump some life into the Rebel offense. Monreal followed with a double to right that moved Van Acker to third. A poor throw by Jessica Garcia in right field allowed Van Acker to pull the game even.
In the seventh, SJSU had a runner on second with two outs before consecutive errors allowed Freitas to score the would-be game-winner.
Amanda Oliveto improved to 8-3 with the win and recorded her seventh complete game of the season tossing all eight frames. Oliveto allowed seven hits and two runs, but both were unearned. She struck out three and walked two.
Fox was stuck with the loss going 7.2 innings in the circle. She surrendered three runs (one earned) on eight hits. She fanned six and walked two.
UNLV returns to action next weekend (March 11-13) with five games in Santa Barbara, Calif., at UC Santa Barbara's Gaucho Classic II. The Rebels open up tournament play with a pair of contests beginning with UCSB (9:00 am) and then San Diego (11:00 am) on Friday, March 11.
