April 22, 2014
BOX SCORES: San Diego State 9, UNLV 8 (8 inns.) | UNLV 12, San Diego State 9
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV softball team and San Diego State Aztecs played a rare, midweek Mountain West doubleheader Tuesday at Eller Media Stadium. The Aztecs won the first contest, 9-8, in eight innings, while the Rebels answered back in the nightcap with a 12-9 decision. The two games did not lack in offense, as the teams combined for 56 hits - 22 of which went for extra bases, 38 runs and 35 RBI.
At the conclusion of Tuesday's games, UNLV sits 20-25 overall and 10-7 in the MW, while SDSU is 32-13 and 9-5, respectively.
Four days after seeing her teammate, Emily Haslinger, tie two of UNLV's single-game records with three home runs and seven RBI in a 10-2 win over New Mexico, Garie Blando added her name to the record book with her five-hit performance in game two against SDSU. Blando sits tied with Rebel alumna Ashli Holland, who had five hits, coincidentally, against the Aztecs on May 7, 2011.
Overall, UNLV's offense produced a .403 batting average that was paced by six different players hitting .375 or better with a minimum of three hits on the day. Blando's .778 showing off a 7-for-9 day led the squad, while Haslinger (.625) and Valentino (.556) tied for second in hits with five apiece.
Game One
SDSU's offense was led by Jaylene Ignacio, who was responsible for eight of the team's nine runs. Ignacio, who went 3-for-4 in the affair, started the game off with an RBI single in the first inning. In the third, she smashed a three-run home run. Two frames later - in the fifth, she connected for a two-run double and later came around to score the team's eighth run.
Trailing by one, UNLV answered back in the first with a two-run home run by Monreal. After two outs had been recorded, Valentino singled to the shortstop before rounding the bases on Monreal's hit.
Moments after Ignacio's homer in the third, the Rebels pulled even at 4-all off a two-run double by Haslinger. Blando and Valentino scored on the hit after they had reached via a walk and a single, respectively.
SDSU pushed four runs across between the fourth and fifth innings to go ahead at 8-4. Kayla Jordan had an RBI single in the former stanza, while Ignacio produced three scores in the latter.
UNLV began its rally in the sixth when Blando knocked one run in with an RBI single.
The Rebels pulled even at 8-all with three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Valentino led off with a single and took to third off a double by Haslinger. DePippo then shaved the deficit to one run with a two-run single to right. DePippo managed to make her way to second on the throw home that followed her hit. Kwyn Cooper helped DePippo advance to third on a fly out to right field. With two out, Tayler Van Acker hit an RBI single to right to knot the game.
Unfortunately, Jordan quelled the Rebels' excitement with a go-ahead home run that held up in the 9-8 decision.
SDSU's Erica Romero (6-4) earned the win in 1.1 innings of scoreless relief. Romero struck out two and only allowed one hit.
Alex Petrolia (2-5) was saddled with the loss in 0.2 innings of relief. Petrolia gave up one run off of two hits.
Game Two
The second game of the doubleheader watched the teams exchange the lead three times. Ultimately, UNLV was able to recover from giving up the lead in the fifth with four unanswered runs in the late innings.
Eight of the Aztecs' nine runs were a result of home runs. Patrice Jackson had two dingers - a three-run blast in the first and a solo shot in the third. Hayley Miles hit a solo homer in the first, while Sydnee Cable (two RBI) and Ignacio (one) went back-to-back in the fifth.
The Rebels stepped up to the plate in the first already down by four runs, but fought back to even the score at 4-all after two complete. Blando led off the first with a single before taking third on a double by Valentino. Monreal then knocked Blando in with a hard groundout to second. In the second, Jaexie Balilea and Blando had RBI singles, while the former scored off an error to even the score.
Jackson's second homer of the game broke the tie, but UNLV used some Aztec miscues to spark a four-run outburst in the fourth. Balilea led off and made her way to second base after being hit by a Romero offering and a wild pitch in succession. Blando then hit a single to third and found herself resting at third base after a throwing error by Jackson in right field. Samantha Juarez then struck out, but made it successfully on base off another wild pitch by Romero that also allowed Blando to score. Monreal then singled to center to send Juarez to third right before Van Acker and Haslinger had consecutive RBI singles.
SDSU took the lead - 9-8 - back in the fifth off Cable's and Ignacio's home runs and a RBI single by Dominique Dinner.
In the bottom of the fifth, Blando and Valentino reached via singles before Monreal turned the momentum in UNLV's favor with a two-run double.
The Rebels added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth with a solo homer by Haslinger and an RBI double by Blando. Following Haslinger's shot, DePippo doubled to left and then took third on a grounder by Foti.
Amanda Oliveto (10-13) tossed the final three innings for UNLV to earn the win. Oliveto allowed one run off of four hits with one walk against three strikeouts.
SDSU's Andi Smith (3-4) was credited with the loss after giving up four runs off of five hits in 1.2 innings of relief work.
UNLV and SDSU close out their three-game series Wednesday afternoon at 12:00 pm.
NOTES: With hits in each game Tuesday, four Rebels have extended their hitting streaks ... Valentino's is at 17 games, while Blando is at 14, DePippo's is at 11 and Haslinger's is at 10 ... Juarez's streak came to an end without a hit in game two at 10 games ... The 16 hits in game two tied a season high, while the five doubles in the contest were a season best ... UNLV has now had at least 10 hits in seven straight games and 12 of its last 17 (all in the Mountain West) ... UNLV has scored in double digits in five of its last seven games ... In the career record book, Monreal moved up to third in RBI (149) and into a tie for seventh in home runs (32), while Balilea moved into a tie for second in hit-by-pitch (23) ... In the single-season record book, Monreal has moved into second in RBI (52) and into a tie for 10th in home runs (12), while Haslinger has moved into a tie for fifth in home runs (14).
