April 13, 2014
Box Score
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV softball team fell behind early and was never able to mount a comeback against the Colorado State Rams Sunday afternoon at Eller Media Stadium. CSU pushed out to a 9-1 lead through three innings and never looked back en route to a 10-4 victory.
With the win, CSU improves to 24-10 on the year and 5-4 in the MW. UNLV, on the other hand, drops to 17-23 overall and 7-5 in league play.
The Rams showed patience at the plate with their first three runs coming off of walks issued by Rebel pitching. Morgan Ettinger walked the bases loaded in the opening frame before Ashlie Ortega hit a two-run single to open up the day's scoring.
UNLV was able to get one run back in the bottom half of the first when Garie Blando and Stefany Valentino teamed up for a pair of hits for the tally. Blando laced a double to right center and then quickly took third on a fly out by Samantha Jaurez. Valentino then singled through the right side to knock in Blando.
In the second, Ettinger wound up walking two of the first three she faced in the second before giving the ball to Amanda Oliveto, who entered the affair in relief. After a quick out - the second of the inning, the Rams notched three straight singles to plate four more runs.
CSU increased its lead to nine with three more tallies in the third.
The Rebels mounted a small offensive with three runs between the fourth and fifth stanzas. Jamie DePippo led off the fourth with a double down the line in left, took third on a ground out and then came home on a single to left by Lexi McKinnon. An inning later, UNLV loaded up the bases off a pair of singles and walk before Francesca Foti drilled a single up the middle for two RBI.
Unfortunately, those three runs were the last that the home squad would score. The Rams tacked on one more off a double steal following a fielder's choice and a single that put runners on the corners.
CSU's Holly Reinke picked up the win in complete-game fashion to improve to 13-5 on the year. Reinke, who earned the decision in all three contests this weekend, allowed four runs off of 10 hits. She struck out five against three walks.
Ettinger (7-6) was saddled with the loss in only 1.1 innings of work. She surrendered four runs off of one hit and five walks. Oliveto tossed the remainder of the game (5.2 innings) and gave up six runs (five earned) off of nine hits. She walked seven against three strikeouts.
UNLV hits the road again for its third conference series away from Las Vegas. The Rebels will travel to Albuquerque, N.M., to face the New Mexico Lobos beginning Thursday, April 17 through Saturday, April 19.
NOTES: With help from a hit, Valentino extended her hitting streak to a career- and season-best 12 games.
