March 2, 2014
BOX SCORES: Weber State 5, UNLV 1 | UNLV 6, Seton Hall 2
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV softball team split its pair of games on Sunday on the third and final day of the Eller Media Stadium Classic. The Rebels lost its first affair to the Weber State Wildcats, 5-1, before they rebounded with a 6-2 victory over the Seton Hall Pirates. The Scarlet & Gray sits 6-11 through four weeks of play, while WSU improved to 9-5 and SHU fell to 3-12.
UNLV's offense was paced by Pauline Monreal behind her team highs in batting average (.667), hits (four), RBI (four), total bases (seven), slugging percentage (1.167) and on-base percentage (.667).
In the win over Seton Hall, the Rebels got off to a quick start with six runs over the first two innings. Garie Blando led off the frame with a solo home run to right center moments before Monreal connected on an RBI single three batters later that scored Kwyn Cooper, who had initially reached off a single and moved into scoring position with a steal of second.
The lead ballooned to six with a four-run second. Lexie McKinnon led off with by reaching on an error and then eventually scored on a wild pitch. Blando and Monreal were responsible with the three other runs when the former knocked in one with a single to right, while the latter got two more with a single up the middle.
The Pirates broke through in the third with a solo homer by Meredith Henze and plated one more in the sixth off a pinch-hit RBI double by Sara Haefeli.
Morgan Ettinger (4-1) picked up the win in 5.1 innings of work. Ettinger allowed two runs off of seven hits with two strikeouts against one walk.
Amanda Oliveto picked up her fourth save of the season in 1.2 frames of relief, as she fanned two, but gave up one hit.
In the earlier contest against Weber State, the Wildcats broke open a scoreless game in the the third off a three-run home run by Alyson Kulp. The big hit scored Katelyn Robinson and Malia Campos, who had gotten on base off a single and a fielder's choice, respectively.
The Wildcats lead grew to four runs when Alyson Kulp laced an RBI double to right center in the fifth. The hit scored Mackenzi Corta from second who led off the inning with a walk issued by Alex Petrolia before she moved to second off a groundout.
UNLV answered back in the bottom half of the fifth with a solo homer by Pauline Monreal.
Unfortunately, WSU picked that run up with another run-scoring double in the sixth.
MaCauley Flint (6-1) got the win for the Wildcats behind a three-hit effort. Flint was touched for only one run, as she struck out five against one walk.
The Rebels' Alex Petrolia (0-3) was saddled with the loss in five frames of work. Petrolia gave up five runs off of six hits. Ettinger relived her in the sixth and struck out one.
UNLV hits the road the next two weekends with a pair of tournaments in the Golden State. The Rebels begin things with a trip to Los Angeles at the UCLA/Cal State Northridge Invitational. They will play five games beginning on Friday, March 7 against Charleston Southern and UCLA. The Scarlet & Gray will also face Loyola, CSU Bakersfield and Georgetown.
