Feb. 9, 2014
Sportco Kick Off Classic Tournament Page
BOX SCORE: San Diego 8, UNLV 4
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV softball team closed out its Sportco Kick Off Classic with an 8-4 loss to the San Diego Toreros (2-3) Sunday afternoon at Eller Media Stadium. The Rebels fell behind 5-0 through four innings before their offense awoke with four runs and five hits down the stretch.
USD took control of the contest in the second inning off a two-out solo homer by Mary Grabowski off Alex Petrolia (0-2). Olivia Sandusky kept the offense going with a walk before stealing second and scoring off an RBI single by Charly Swanberg for the second run of the frame.
The Toreros extended their lead to four with two tallies in the third. Dana Prelsnik led off with a double that ended Petrolia's day in the circle. After Morgan Ettinger took to the circle, Prelsnik made her way around the bases following a single by Chloe Kaneko and a sac bunt put in play by Caitlin Rooney. Kaneko took third on the bunt and scored one batter later off a Rebel miscue.
The visitors lead grew to five when they connected on back-to-back doubles in the fourth.
UNLV finally put its first run on the scoreboard in the fifth when Garie Blando took Jenny Lahitte's (2-1) offering over the fence in left.
After seeing a run shaved off its lead, USD answered back with an RBI single from Prelsnik and a two-run double by Kaneko to push the Rebel deficit to seven at 8-1.
Down by seven, the Rebels stuck with the long ball to counter the Toreros' three-run stanza with three of their own. Tayler Van Acker led off with a solo blast to right, which was followed two batters later by a two-run shot by Emily Haslinger. Lahitte was able to get the next batter out only to see Cassidy Coleman enter in relief with Blando coming to the plate.
Coleman immediately got into trouble when she surrendered a single to Blando before walking both Samantha Juarez and Stefany Valentino to load the bases. Unfortunately, Coleman was able to get Jaexie Balilea to strike out to end the threat and the inning.
Lahitte picked up the win for USD after tossing 5.2 innings Sunday. She struck out six against one walk, but allowed four runs off of five hits.
Petrolia was saddled with the loss - her second - in two innings of work. She gave up three runs off of three hits. Ettinger pitched four frames of middle relief, but was touched for five runs (four earned) off of seven hits.
The Rebels return to action in their own Easton Desert Classic (Feb. 13-16). The Scarlet & Gray will begin its slate of action on Friday, Feb. 14 with a pair of contests against teams that made the 2013 NCAA postseason. UNLV will open up with a 3:45 pm game against #8/8 Oregon followed by a 6:00 pm tilt with Minnesota.
Sunday's Sportco Kick Off Classic Results
Baylor 5, Arkansas 0
Washington 16, UC Davis 2 (5 inns.)
San Diego 8, UNLV 4
