April 17, 2014
Box Score
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV softball team dropped a heartbreaker Thursday to the New Mexico Lobos by one run, 11-10, at Lobo Softball Field in Albuquerque, N.M. The game featured 21 runs with eight - four apiece - of those coming in the seventh and final frame. UNLV (17-24 overall, 7-6 Mountain West) entered its final at-bat trailing by one and came up with four to take a three-run advantage only to see UNM (13-27, 4-9) rally to win by a run.
After falling behind by five through three innings, UNLV fought back with eight unanswered tallies between the fourth and the seventh innings.
In the fourth, Tayler Van Acker led off with a double and eventually came around to score off an RBI single by Emily Haslinger after the Rebels had loaded up the bases.
An inning later, Stefany Valentino and Pauline Monreal collected back-to-back one-out singles to put runners on the corners. Van Acker and Jamie DePippo plated the two runners in consecutive at-bats with a groundout and a double. Francesca Foti followed those run-scoring hits by putting a ball in play that UNM third baseman Jasmine Casados fielded cleanly, but then errantly threw to first. Foti wound up reaching base and DePippo scored to pull the Rebels within one at 7-6.
Van Acker factored in the scoring, once again, when she opened the seventh with a walk moments before she moved into scoring position off a sacrifice bunt by DePippo. Foti then hit a single to right and took second when UNM's rightfielder Gabrielle Stacey committed a throwing error. Emilie Valadez, who was pinch-running for Van Acker, scored on the error to tie the game. Jaexie Balilea then came in to pinch run for Foti and quickly took third when Alyssa Cordova hit a single up the middle.
Following Cordova's hit, UNM went to the bullpen and brought in Lauren Soles (5-5), who was roughed up for two hits after getting the first batter she faced to hit a groundout. Garie Blando and Juarez followed that with consecutive RBI hits with the former knocking in one to the latter's two that capped off the four-run frame.
Unfortunately, the Lobo offense that had sat dormant through the fourth and sixth innings awoke for four runs off of four hits. Morgan Ettinger, who had entered the game in the third, surrendered a solo home run to Casados. Jordan Sjostrand then took a walk before moving into scoring position off a double by Michala Erickson. Willow Kalinen then came up with the game-tying hit - a triple to left - to pull her squad even at 10-all. Brandi Heimburg then ended the affair with a game-winning RBI single to left.
The game began with the teams scoring twice in the second. Van Acker (single) and DePippo (double) started the inning with hits before Cordova had a two-run double to right. The Lobos countered in similar fashion with a pair of hits before Mia Hignojos knocked the runners in with a two-run of her own.
The hosts erupted for five runs in the third behind seven hits. Casados opened up the scoring with a two-run double before Sjostrand had an RBI two-bagger. Erickson followed it all with a two-run home run that spelled the end of Amanda Oliveto's day in the circle.
Soles (5-5) picked up the win after only throwing two-third of an inning of relief. She allowed one run off of two hits.
UNM's first two pitchers, Carrie Sheehan and Tess McPherson, combined to throw 6.1 innings, but surrendered nine runs (seven earned) off of 13 hits with three walks and one strikeout.
Ettinger was saddled with the loss in 3.2 innings of relief work. She was touched for four runs off of six hits. She walked three and struck out two.
Oliveto threw the first 2.2 innings, but gave up seven runs off of nine hits.
UNLV and UNM resume the conference series Friday with a 3:00 pm MT (2:00 pm PT) contest.
NOTES: Four Rebels extended their season-best hitting streaks Thursday with at least one hit in the game ... Valentino's is at 13, Blando's is at 10 and Juarez and DePippo are at seven apiece ... All nine position players had at least one hit with Blando, Juarez, Valentino, Van Acker, DePippo and Cordova had two hits apiece.
