May 13, 2011
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV Rebels (26-18 overall, 8-5 MWC) notched a come-from-behind, 10-8 win over the Colorado State Rams (8-42, 1-13) Friday night in Mountain West Conference action at Eller Media Stadium. CSU rallied from a 5-0 deficit to take a short-lived 8-5 lead before UNLV turned things around in the sixth and scored the game's last five runs. The victory was the sixth straight for the Rebels in the head-to-head series and fifth consecutive for UNLV against the Rams in Las Vegas.
Trailing by three runs heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, UNLV head coach Pete Manarino inserted Jaexie Balilea and Samantha Henry into the game as pinch hitters and both came up big in the team's final at-bat. Balilea led off the inning and reached safely when CSU's Alysa Greckel committed an error at first base. Bri Bernardi and Henry kept things trucking with consecutive singles to load the bases. Paige Emerson and Elena Fata then had back-to-back singles that brought runners home. Emerson and Fata both recorded an RBI apiece, but the latter hit also featured a fielding error by CSU's Brianna Donahue in left when she was unable to corral the ball and it allowed another runner to score to knot the game at 8-all.
Fata's hit spelled the end of Alexa Cash's (1-20) night in the circle and summoned Desiree Laswell in from the bullpen. Laswell quickly walked Ashli Holland to load the bases before Tayler Aleman hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Bernardi from third and give UNLV a one-run lead. After a walk was issued to Tayler Van Acker, Pauline Monreal added an insurance run when she contributed an RBI off a ground out to second.
UNLV began the game with a 5-0 lead through three innings of action with three runs in the second and two more in the third. Pauline Monreal and Christina Montoya started off the third-inning scoring with back-to-back walks issued by Cash. Emerson joined the pair on the bases when she reached on a two-out fielder's choice. Fata then delivered the first big hit of the game with an RBI-single through the left side to plate Monreal. Holland followed with a two-run single up the middle to bring home Montoya and Emerson.
Bernardi extended the Rebel lead to 5-0 when she hit a liner over the fence in left for first home run of the season. Monreal scored on the dinger after initially walking.
CSU flipped the script on UNLV in the fifth when they scored six times with help from three hits and three errors. Morghan Doughty hit a three-run homer to left to start the offensive. A fielding error brought in the Rams' fourth run, while Brittany Palish added an RBI-single for the fifth. Palish's hit ended Amanda Oliveto's day in the circle and summoned Kylie Wagner (4-2) from the bullpen. Wagner allowed one run to score when she was called for an illegal pitch.
The Rams added to their lead in the sixth when Caitlan Stem hit a two-run home run to right that also scored Doughty.
Wagner moved to 4-2 on the year in 2.2 innings of relief. She struck out three, but was touched for two runs off of two hits.
Oliveto threw the first 4.1 innings of the game and allowed six runs (two earned) off of six hits. She struck out one against three walks.
Cash was saddled with the loss in five innings of work. She allowed 10 runs (eight earned) off of nine hits, while striking out three and walking four.
Laswell picked up the final three outs for CSU and only registered two walks.
UNLV returns to action Saturday afternoon (1:00 pm) against the Colorado State Rams at Eller Media Stadium. Saturday has been designated as "Senior Day" for UNLV's three seniors (Traci Odegard, Holland and Bernardi). The game will also be aired live by The Mtn.
