Feb. 16, 2014
BOX SCORE: Long Beach State 7, UNLV 6
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV softball team suffered a heartbreaking 7-6 loss to the Long Beach State 49ers on Sunday in the final game of the Easton Desert Classic. The 49ers broke open a 4-all tie with three fifth-inning runs when the Rebels committed two errors on a single play. UNLV answered back with two scores in the sixth, but were unable to get the equalizer before the conclusion of play. The Scarlet & Gray drop to 2-7 on the year with the loss, while LBSU moves to 6-4.
The Rebels opened up the affair with three scores off of four hits in the first inning. With the bases loaded, Pauline Monreal - the primary catalyst for Saturday's 7-2 win over Utah Valley - cranked a three-run double down the line in left. Emilie Valadez, Tayler Van Acker and Garie Blando motored around the bases on the base knock.
The 49ers got two runs back a half inning later with the first of their two-run homers in the game. Moments after Alex Petrolia issued a base on balls to Karli Sandoval, Ashley Holmes took a pitch to deep left.
UNLV pushed its lead back to two when it took advantage of two LBSU errors in its half of the second. Stefany Valentino reached on a bobble on a grounder by Hannah De Gaetano at third. Valentino then took second on a single by Valadez before scoring on an errant throw by Cya Neal at second base following a grounder by Van Acker.
The visitors pulled even in the third with two more tallies off a home run. De Gaetano and Sandoval combined for a single and a two-run home run, respectively, off Petrolia.
Two innings later and with Amanda Oliveto in the circle, LBSU got lucky with the fifth-inning miscues. The 49ers were able to get runners into scoring position before a two-out walk loaded them up. Shayna Kimbrough instigated the game-changing play when she stepped up and hit a grounder to first that was misplayed by Van Acker and rolled into foul territory in right. The first two runners scored off the hit, while another came in when the throw back into play was errant.
UNLV mounted a charge in the sixth that produced two runs, but saw the potential game-tying run left stranded at third when the frame ended. Emily Haslinger led off with a single before she was joined on the bases by Valentino, who walked. After Valadez sacrificed both into scoring position, Van Acker took first with her 27th career hit-by-pitch. Blando then delivered a two-run single to the right side that wound up putting runners on the corners. Unfortunately, Van Acker was left stranded at third when LBSU's Amanda Hansen struck out the next batter.
Hansen (4-1) picked up the win in complete-game fashion. She surrendered six runs (five earned) off of 11 hits - a game-high for UNLV in 2014. She struck out four against one walk.
Oliveto (1-4) was snake bitten with the loss, her fourth of the season. She threw 3.1 innings of relief, and was touched for three unearned runs and two hits. Petrolia and Morgan Ettinger combined to allow four runs off of seven hits in 3.2 innings before Oliveto's stint.
UNLV returns to action with its first games away from Las Vegas in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic (Feb. 20-23) in Cathedral City, Calif., next week. The Rebels will open up with #15/16 Texas at 10:30 am on Thursday, Feb. 20. They will also play UC Davis (10:00 am) and #24/22 Arizona (12:30 pm) on Saturday, Feb. 22 followed by Cal Poly (2:00 pm) and Cal State Northridge (4:30 pm) on Sunday, Feb. 23.
