May 10, 2011

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV Rebels swept the Mountain West Conference's weekly softball honors with Ashli Holland and Kylie Wagner being named Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, after their performances for the week of May 2-8. It is the third weekly honor of Holland's career and the first for Wagner.

Holland led the Rebels offensively to a 2-0 record last week with a .778 batting average in two games against the San Diego State Aztecs. On Saturday, she recorded five hits and 13 total bases, both UNLV single-game records. She smashed two solo home runs, two doubles and a single, while knocking in four and touching home plate three times. Her second homer Saturday began the Rebels' eighth-inning three-run rally, an 11-10 win. On Sunday, she went 2-for-4 with two home runs, five RBI and two runs scored. She put UNLV up 2-0 in the first with a two-run blast and then ended the contest with a three-run walk-off homer for the 13-11 win in the bottom of the seventh. In all, she had seven hits (six for extra bases), nine RBI and scored five runs, while registering a staggering 2.333 slugging percentage and .800 on-base percentage.

Wagner earned both wins in the circle for the Rebels against the Aztecs in 3.1 innings of work. She picked up the first win in one inning of relief on Saturday. After SDSU had taken a brief lead, she entered and got three consecutive outs (one via strikeout) to put her team in position to win in the eighth inning. On Sunday, she entered the circle on two different occasions. She got the start (1.1 innings) and then re-entered in the seventh. She allowed one unearned run in the relief role, but then got three straight outs before her offense came up with its second consecutive walk-off win in the bottom half of the inning. Overall, she had a 4.20 ERA on the weekend after allowing three runs (two earned). She struck out two against no walks.