May 14, 2011
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV Rebels (27-18 overall, 9-5 MWC) rallied from a 4-0 deficit to close out the 2011 regular season with an 11-7 win over the Colorado State Rams (8-43, 1-14) Saturday afternoon in Mountain West Conference action at Eller Media Stadium. The win was the fifth consecutive for UNLV and the fifth overall in come-from-behind fashion. After the Rebels tied the score at 7-all in the fifth, Tayler Aleman cranked a grand slam to left in the sixth for the go-ahead scores on "Senior Day".
CSU jumped out to a 4-0 lead with one run coming in on a wild pitch and the final three on Chelsea Biglow's three-run home run off of Traci Odegard.
UNLV pulled within one in the second with three tallies of its own thanks to a three-run blast by Bri Bernardi. It was Bernardi's second home run in as many games. Tayler Van Acker and Pauline Monreal scored on the homer after they reached base safely following a single and a walk, respectively.
The Rams extended their lead back to four when they scored three of their own in the top of the third. Brittany Palish had a two-run home run, while Alysa Greckel plated a runner with an RBI-double off of Kylie Wagner.
The Rebels turned things around in their favor from the bottom of the third inning forward. Elena Fata began the frame with a single and moved over to third on a double by Aleman off CSU's Kelsey Jo O'Brien. Fata scored one batter later off an RBI-ground out by Van Acker. Monreal made the game a one-run affair with a two-run home run to center.
After a scoreless fourth inning, UNLV knotted the game up at 7-all when Van Acker, who initially walked, motored around the bases from first base on an RBI-double by Monreal.
In the sixth, CSU summoned Desiree Laswell (2-8) from the bullpen in relief of O'Brien, but quickly watched its hurler load the bases after facing UNLV's first four batters of the stanza. Samantha Henry and Emerson led off with back-to-back singles before moving into scoring position after a sacrifice bunt by Fata. Laswell's brief appearance in the circle was cut short after she hit Ashli Holland to load the bases. Cash came back into the game, but was rudely welcomed by Aleman's game-changing hit.
Amanda Oliveto picked up the win and improved to 21-10 after her four innings of relief work. Oliveto fanned three, allowed one hit and walked one in her outing.
Odegard and Wagner combined to throw the initial three innings of the game and surrendered seven runs (five earned) on five hits, while walking two and striking out one.
Laswell was stuck with the loss in one-third of an inning of relief. She allowed three runs off of two hits.
UNLV will learn its fate tomorrow on whether or not it will receive an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament.
Notes: UNLV finished the regular season with a program-record 54 home runs ... The Rebels came into today's game with 51 (tied with 2010's program record) and promptly hit three to rewrite the record ... Paige Emerson extended her hitting streak to eight games with a 2-for-4 performance Saturday ... Emerson is hitting .594 (17-for-32) in the eight-game run ... In her last 14 games, she is hitting .520 (26-for-50) ... She has accumulated 15 multiple-hit games on the year with seven occurring in her last eight outings ... Prior to the contest, UNLV recognized its three seniors (Bri Bernardi, Ashli Holland and Traci Odegard) and CSU's Caitlan Stem for playing in their final regular-season contests.
