March 23, 2014
Box Score
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV softball team closed out its Mountain West home-opening series against its in-state rival Nevada, Reno with a 3-2 victory at Eller Media Stadium. The Rebels, who won Friday's and Saturday's games, completed the series sweep Sunday when they held on for the one-run triumph after they jumped out to a three-run lead through three innings of play.
With its third straight win, the Scarlet & Gray improves to 13-18 on the year and 3-0 in the conference standings. UNR, on the other hand, dropped to 18-13 overall and 0-3 in the league with the loss.
UNLV opened up the affair with a quick score in the first off a sacrifice fly by Pauline Monreal. Garie Blando scored on the fly out after leading off with a walk, stealing second and taking third on a sac bunt by Stefany Valentino.
The lead grew to two runs in the second when Emily Haslinger drilled a double to right center to plate Francesca Foti from third. Foti, like Blando an inning earlier, led off with a walk. She then moved around the bases 60 feet at a time off a sac bunt by Jamie DePippo and a fly out by Alyssa Cordova.
The would-be game-winning run scored off the bat of Monreal in the third inning. The slugger, who finished the weekend with nine RBI against the Wolf Pack, hit a duck snort to right that plopped in to allow Valentino to score with ease from third base. Valentino reached safely with a one-out triple down the line in right field.
UNR had left four runners on the bases through four innings of play, but the visitors from up north made the most of their opportunity in the fifth. After getting two in scoring position, Megan Sweet and Danielle Wiltz hit back-to-back RBI singles to cut UNLV's lead to one run.
The Wolf Pack attempted to mount a game-tying rally in the sixth, but came up short after Morgan Ettinger was summoned from the bullpen in relief of Amanda Oliveto. UNR was able to get two on off a hit-by-pitch and a single before the change. Ettinger was able to get the two batters she faced to groundout and fly out, respectively, to quell the threat.
Ettinger sat the Wolf Pack down in order in the seventh to earn her first career save. She threw 1.2 innings of scoreless and hitless relief.
Oliveto (6-10) earned the win in 5.1 innings of work Sunday after she only allowed two runs off of seven hits. She struck out two against zero walks.
Ariel Craig (3-1) was stuck with the loss after she gave up three runs off of five hits and three walks.
NOTES: UNLV's victory Saturday was the 17th in the head-to-head series with UNR in 23 chances ... UNLV has won four straight in the series and six of the past seven.
