April 2, 2011

Box Score

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV Rebels (18-13) split their pair of games in the Pre-Conference Round-Up Saturday afternoon held at Eller Media Stadium. UNLV lost a 16-8, five-inning decision to the Seattle Redhawks (4-22) before they fought back for a 6-2 win over the Loyola Marymount Lions (14-19) in the finale.

UNLV was led offensively by seven batters that tallied .333 or better batting averages on the day. Pauline Monreal topped the squad in batting average (.667, 4-for-6), hits (four) and RBI (six), while Tayler Van Acker and Stefany Valentino both hit .600 off of identical 3-for-5 performances.

Amanda Oliveto improved to 15-5 in 2011 with her complete-game win over LMU. Oliveto has now gone the distance in 15 of her 16 starts. The Lions snapped her hitless streak (41 batters) at the start of the game with a lead-off single, but watched as she extended her scoreless run to 17.2 innings before she allowed two runs in the sixth.

Game 2 - Loyola Marymount UNLV scored twice in the first and three more times in the fifth to stake itself to a 5-0 lead through five, which was plenty of run support for Oliveto, who struck out seven against four walks.

Oliveto and the Rebel defense forced LMU to leave nine runners stranded throughout the game, six of which were in scoring position. The Lions only true scoring opportunity came in the sixth when they loaded the bases after the second out had been recorded. LMU used a walk and four consecutive singles to plate two, but witnessed a ground out end the stanza.

Ashli Holland led off the game with a single up the middle and then sashayed to second on a walk issued to Paige Emerson. Van Acker and Tayler Aleman followed with back-to-back RBI-singles off of LMU's Stevie Goldstein (2-5) to give UNLV a 2-0 lead.

Van Acker and Aleman were instrumental in getting more runs on the scoreboard in the fifth when the duo led off the inning with another couple of singles. Monreal then pushed the pair into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. After the second out had been recorded, Kylie Wagner stepped into the batter's box, as a pinch-hitter, and proceeded to take Goldstein yard for a three-run shot.

LMU then proceeded to cut UNLV's lead to three with their couple of runs in the sixth, but witnessed Monreal extend the lead to four with an RBI-single. Aleman scored on Monreal's base-knock after initially reaching on a double of her own.

Goldstein took the loss for LMU in 4.2 innings of work. She allowed five runs off of nine hits. She struck out one and walked two.

Erica Grady threw the final 1.1 frames of relief for LMU and was touched for one run off of four hits.

Game 1 - Seattle The Seattle Redhawks stepped out of the gates quickly with an early 13-0 lead through 2.5 innings of action, which was enough to stave off UNLV's offense the remainder of the game. Over the final three frames, the Rebels outscored the Redhawks, 8-7, but couldn't manage an extra score to keep the eight-run rule after five innings to be enacted.

Teresa Clark was the main villain against UNLV's pitching staff, as she amassed seven RBI through the first three innings of play. Clark had a sacrifice fly in the first to begin her day and followed that up with a two-run double and a grand slam in the second and third innings, respectively.

Monreal and Jaexie Balilea used the long ball to get four runs on the board for UNLV in the third. Monreal smashed a three-run dinger to start things, while Balilea stepped up in the next at-bat with a solo blast.

After Seattle scored twice in the fourth, Monreal and Balilea delivered, once again, for UNLV in the bottom half of the frame. Monreal had a two-run double, while Balilea had a one-run single.

Each team scored once in the fifth with the Rebel score coming in long-ball fashion from Van Acker.

In all, the teams combined for six home runs in the game.

Jessica O'Connor (1-5) was saddled with the loss against Seattle and lasted only one inning in the circle. O'Connor was touched for four runs off of five hits with two strikeouts and two walks.

Kylie Wagner and Traci Odegard threw the final four innings of relief and combined to allow 12 runs (seven earned) on 13 hits. The both struck out one.

Jessica Ulrich picked up her first win of the year and improved to 1-9 on the year. Ulrich surrendered eight runs off of 11 hits and walked four against one strikeout.

UNLV opens up Mountain West Conference play next week with a trio of games on the road. The Rebels begin with a 5:00 pm MT (4:00 pm PT) game on April 8 in Fort Collins, Colo., against the Colorado State Rams before trucking down to Albuquerque, N.M., for a pair against the New Mexico Lobos on April 9 and 10.

Notes: Ashli Holland moved into 10th place in UNLV's career hits list with 193 total after she collected three singles Saturday ... Holland has her name listed in seven of the 15 program's career records.