Box Score: Ohio State 10, UNLV 8
Box Score: #24/23 Notre Dame 8, UNLV 0 (6 innings)

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV softball team (5-6) suffered a pair of losses to foes from the Rust Belt region Friday at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic held at Big League Dreams. The Rebels opened the day with seven quick runs in the opening affair against the Ohio State Buckeyes (8-1) before seeing their offense dry up the rest of the day and over a total of 11 innings. The Scarlet & Gray lost by two, 10-8, to the Buckeyes before it was shut out by the #24/23 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-5) in an 8-0, six-inning affair.

UNLV's offense was paced by a four-hit day from Samantha Juarez, who laced a pair of doubles down the left-field line against the Buckeyes and scored a pair of runs. Juarez hit .667 with a 4-for-6 combined effort at the plate.

Garie Blando was 3-for-7 (.429) was a factor in four of the Rebels' eight runs in the OSU affair with two RBI and two runs scored. Blando was one of three to knock in two apiece on the day with Merina Ili and Emily Haslinger picking up two each.

Against OSU, Blando got things going offensively with a single before taking second off a wild pitch with Fahren Glackin at the plate. The latter wound up joining Blando on the base paths off a walk issued by Shelby Hursh. A sacrifice bunt by Ili allowed both runners to advance into scoring position. The duo managed to score when Emily Haslinger hit into a fielder's choice grounder to Maddy McIntyre at shortstop, who uncorked an errant throw in an attempt to throw out Blando at the plate. Blando scored with ease, while Glackin came in with help from the miscue.

An inning later the Rebels notched four singles that produced five runs. Juarez, Emilie Valadez and Blando had three straight singles with the last one producing an RBI and upping the lead to 3-0. After Blando's single, OSU went to the bullpen and brought Lena Springer into the contest in relief. Springer didn't start well, as she walked Glackin and then gave up a two-run single to Ili. Valadez and Blando scored on the hit, and Glackin came in when McIntyre committed another throwing error. Haslinger closed out the scoring with a sacrifice fly to right.

The Buckeyes began their comeback in the bottom half of the second with three runs that sparked an outburst of six unanswered scores.

UNLV got one run back in the fifth off an RBI single by Blando. Juarez and Valadez set up a runner-on-the-corners opportunity for Blando with a double and a single, respectively.

OSU turned the game in its favor with a total of four runs between the fifth and sixth frames. Taylor White was the Rebel antagonist in the Buckeye rally with a solo homer in the fifth and a two-run triple in the sixth. White came around to score an insurance run off a single from Jayla Saibene.

Springer (1-0) earned the win for the Buckeyes in five frames of relief. She was touched for three runs (two earned) off of eight hits. She gave way to Alex DiDomenico in the seventh, and she registered her second save of 2015.

UNLV used three pitchers in the contest and they combined to allow 10 runs (eight earned) off of 13 hits. Kwyn Cooper surrendered the first five runs (four earned) off 2.2 innings. Francesca Foti went 0.2 innings and was touched for one unearned run. Morgan Ettinger (1-3) was saddled with the loss after giving up four runs on six hits in the last 2.2 innings.

Against Notre Dame, the Fighting Irish went up 4-0 in the first and never looked back. Emilee Koerner, who had three hits, was responsible for two of the first-inning runs with a two-run homer that was followed by another two-run dinger in the fourth.

Besides the four-run fourth, UND added a solo run off a Megan Sorlie homer in the third and a game-ending RBI single from Casey Africano.

The Rebels was held hitless until the third when Alyssa Cordova had a lead-off single. They got two run hits in the fourth and fifth from Francesa Foti and Brooke Stover, respectively.

Rachel Nasland (2-2) went the distance (six innings) for UND for the win. She struck out three against three hits and one walk.

Glackin (0-1) was tagged with the loss in only 0.1 innings of work. She gave up four runs (two earned) on three hits. Cooper and Alex Petrolia tossed the final 5.1 innings and allowed four runs (three earned) off six hits.

UNLV returns to action Saturday with a solo contest against Maryland at 12:30 pm.