Feb. 15, 2014
Box Score
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV softball team (2-6) jumped back into the win column with its 7-2 victory over the Utah Valley Wolverines (0-8) in the Easton Desert Classic Saturday at Eller Media Stadium. The Rebels used the long ball to plate six of their runs with five coming off the bat of Pauline Monreal and a single score from Jamie DePippo.
The Scarlet & Gray opened up the scoring early with Monreal's first off a three-run blast was ricocheted off the scoreboard in left field. Stefany Valentino got the offense going with a bunt single. Valentino then moved into scoring position with a steal of second base moments before Tayler Van Acker earned a base on balls. After the second out of the frame had been recorded, Monreal stepped in and delivered the game-changing hit.
The Rebels increased their lead to four when Van Acker, who led off with a walk, scored from first base off an RBI double by Alyssa Cordova.
Utah Valley answered back with a two-run spurt with single tallies in both the fourth and fifth stanzas. Erin Romero cranked a solo home run in the fourth, while Brittany Vansway was credited with a run-scoring double that cut UNLV's cushion in half at 4-2.
The home side pushed its lead to the final five-run margin off of a two-run home run by Monreal and a solo shot by DePippo in its half of the fifth. Cordova opened up the frame with a walk and scored immediately on Monreal's blast to center. Two batters later, DePippo went yard to cap the game's scoring.
UNLV's Amanda Oliveto (1-3) picked up her first win of the year in complete-game fashion. Oliveto struck out eight, but gave up two runs off of five hits and eight walks.
The Wolverines used three pitchers in the circle with each throwing two innings. Josi Summers (0-4), who got the ball to start the game, was saddled with the loss after she allowed four runs off of five hits. Bailey Moore was touched for two runs, while Dara Rahm was on the hook for an unearned tally.
The Rebels return to action on the fourth and final day of the Classic Sunday with a 1:30 pm tilt against Long Beach State.
NOTES: Monreal matched career highs in hits (three - four other times), home runs (two - CSU Bakersfield on Feb. 12, 2012) and RBI (five - Seattle on April 2, 2011) in the win over Utah Valley ... With help from her start Saturday and eight strikeouts, Oliveto improved to a fifth-place tie in games started (96) and third in strikeouts (496) ... Monreal's two home runs pushed her into an eight-place tie in career home runs (22) ... Van Acker's two walks in the contest bumped her into an eighth-place tie in that career category.
