May 3, 2014
Box Score
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV softball team knocked off the Oregon State Beavers by a 5-1 final score Saturday night at Eller Media Stadium. Moments after Oregon State evened the score at 1-all in the fifth inning, UNLV answered with four runs of its own in its half of the frame. In the circle, Amanda Oliveto limited the Beavers to five hits en route to winning her 13th game of the year.
With the win, the Scarlet & Gray improved to 23-27 on the year, while OSU dropped to 15-30.
UNLV jumped out to an early 1-0 lead off a pair of back-to-back doubles by Garie Blando and Samantha Juarez off of the Beavers' Amanda Najdek (10-19). Blando scored with ease off Juarez's shot down the left field line.
OSU knotted the game at 1-all off an RBI double by Dani Gilmore with one out. Ya Garcia scored from first on the hit after initially reaching off a fielder's choice.
Juarez got the offense going in the fifth with a walk before making her way to third after a sacrifice bunt by Stefany Valentino and a single by Pauline Monreal. Juarez scored the eventual game-winning run when she slid around OSU's catcher Kylie Padilla following a grounder put in play by Jamie DePippo. Tayler Van Acker then brought everyone home when she unleashed a three-run home run to deep center.
Both Juarez and Van Acker ended the game with multiple-hit efforts. The former scattered two base knocks, while the latter had a game-high three.
Oliveto (13-14) blanked the Beavers in the sixth and seventh to hold on for the complete-game win. She struck out seven against three walks.
Najdek was saddled with the loss after she gave up five runs off of 11 hits in 4.1 innings of work. She struck out two, but walked one. Najdek gave way to Melanie Dembinski in the fifth, and she struck out three in her 1.2 innings of relief.
The Rebels and Beavers close out their two-game series Sunday with first pitch scheduled for noon (12:00 pm).
NOTES: With help from her third-inning single, Valentino increased her career-best hitting streak to 22 games ... In the career record book, Valentino moved into a tie for ninth in hits (209) with former Rebel Ashli Holland (2008-11); Oliveto moved into a tie for third in complete games with Amie Stewart (1992-95) ... With help from her seven strikeouts, Oliveto became only the third hurler in program history to crack the 600 mark ... Oliveto now has 606 strikeouts and only trails Lori Harrigan (725/1989-1992) and Jacque Kerrigan (670/2002-05).
