Nov. 15, 2013
BOX SCORES: Game 1 - UNLV 2, CSN 1 | Game 2 - UNLV 10, CSN 6
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV softball team closed out its fall schedule with a doubleheader sweep against the College of Southern Nevada Coyotes on Friday afternoon at Eller Media Stadium. The first game was a low-scoring affair with UNLV winning 2-1. The following contest; however, was a bit more offensive as the teams combined to scatter 20 hits and put 20 runs on the scoreboard. The Rebels won game two, 10-6, behind a six-run, two-out rally in the sixth inning.
The Rebels were led offensively by Jamie DePippo and her perfect 7-for-7 outing at the plate. DePippo batted 1.000 and slugged 1.286 behind five singles and two doubles. She knocked in four RBI and scored once, as well.
Four of DePippo's teammates registered two hits on the day with Emilie Valadez and Stefany Valentino owning identical .400 averages (2-for-5) compared to Pauline Monreal's .333 average (2-for-6) and Emily Haslinger's .286 (2-for-7).
Garie Blando had a team-best five RBI on the day with all of those tallies coming in the second game. Four of them were off a sixth-inning grand slam that sparked UNLV's 10-6 win.
In the circle, Amanda Oliveto and Morgan Ettinger picked up victories on the day. The former improved to 2-1 in the fall with a win in game one, while the latter moved to 3-0 with the "W" in the second contest.
In the first game, UNLV got a strong effort from Oliveto and Alex Petrulia in the circle. Oliveto struck out eight of the 14 batters she faced and did not allow a hit en route to earning the win in 4.1 innings of work. Petrulia picked up the save in 2.2 innings of relief. She was touched for one unearned run off of two hits.
UNLV's pair of runs came in the fourth off a two-run double by DePippo that plated Haslinger and Monreal. The inning began with a lead-off single by Haslinger and then a double by Monreal before DePippo's game-changing hit - the first of three on the day.
CSN's lone score occurred in the top of the seventh with the assistance of two Rebel miscues, a stolen base and a sacrifice fly. The Coyotes' lead-off batter reached on a fielding error by DePippo at third base. With the second batter in the lineup in the batter's box, the runner stole second and took third when a pickoff throw to second went astray. The batter then hit a fly to center field to cut the team's deficit to one.
In game two, UNLV struck first with an unearned tally off an RBI single by DePippo in the bottom of the first.
The Coyotes answered back with a couple of runs in both the second and third innings to turn a one-run deficit into a three-run lead.
The Rebels chipped away at CSN's cushion with two runs in the third off a groundout by Blando and another RBI single by DePippo. Valadez and Valentino scored on the plays after initially starting the frame with a single and a double, respectively.
UNLV knotted the contest at 4-all in the fourth off an RBI single by Valentino.
After a scoreless fifth, the Scarlet & Gray took the lead for good in the sixth. Kwyn Cooper stepped up with two out and promptly took a base on balls to keep the inning alive. Valadez then put a ball in play that CSN's pitcher errantly threw to first to allow both runners to move into scoring position. Valentino joined the pair on the base path when she too was walked. With the bases juiced, Blando laced a grand slam over the fence in left to give UNLV an 8-4 lead.
The Rebels added two more runs to their half of the scoreboard two batters later when Monreal went deep to left, as well. DePippo scored on the dinger after keeping the frame alive with a single - her fourth hit in the game.
CSN managed to score two times in the top of the seventh before a base-running blunder resulted in the third out and thwarted any comeback attempt.
Ettinger went the distance for the win, but was touched for six runs (five earned) off of nine hits. She struck out four against three walks.
