Box Score: UNLV 18, UC Santa Barbara 10 (5 innings)
Box Score: UNLV 3, Cal Poly 0

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV softball team evened its record at 7-7 with a pair of victories Sunday over squads from the Big West on the final day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic held at Big League Dreams. In their first outing, the Rebels rallied from an early four-run deficit, 7-3, to run-rule the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (3-11) by a final of 18-10 in five innings. They followed that comeback with a quick 3-0 triumph over the Cal Poly Mustangs (7-8).

The wins also helped snap a four-game losing streak that UNLV had been riding since it's loss to Utah last Monday, Feb. 16.

On the day, the Scarlet & Gray's offense hit at a .431 clip with 25 hits, eight of which went for extra bases with five doubles and three RBI, 21 runs and 17 RBI. It was led by five-hit efforts from Emilie Valadez and Garie Blando. The former hit .714 (5-for-7) with one run and one RBI, while the latter amassed a .556 average (5-for-9) with five runs scored and two RBI.

Six other Rebels scattered at least two hits apiece. Brooke Stover and Emily Haslinger, who both had two hits Sunday, topped the squad with four and three RBI, respectively.

In game one, UNLV staked itself to a quick 3-0 lead off of three hits and a UCSB throwing error in the first inning. Blando led off with first of her two doubles and took third on a single by Valadez. Blando, who took third on the base hit, scored one batter later when Merina Ili hit into a fielder's choice. Ili moved up to second base when Fahren Glackin was hit by a Ashley Ludlow offering. With runners on first and second, Ludlow did herself no favors by committing a throwing error on a ball put in play by Samantha Juarez. Ili scored on the miscue, while Glackin moved to third before scoring on an RBI single by Halle Rosario.

The Gauchos answered back in the top of the second with three runs off of three hits. Morgan Ettinger got the start for the Rebels, but didn't last long as the hurler surrendered two hits and hit one batter before giving way to Alex Petrolia. Unfortunately, the new pitcher wasn't able to keep UCSB off the `board. The California squad evened the affair at 3-all behind a single, a fielding error and a groundout.

UCSB took its first lead of the game with the assistance of a four-run third. With two on, Shelby Wisdom laced a double down the line in left to break the tie and put two in scoring position. That hit spelled the end of Petrolia's day in the circle and forced UNLV to reliever her with Francesca Foti, who gave up inherited runs off a single, an error and a groundout.

UNLV's offense began to turn for the best in the third with two runs off Emily Haslinger's bat. Ili scored on the first of Haslinger's round trippers after leading off with a double.

With their lead cut to two runs at 7-5, the Gauchos answered back to push their lead back to four in the top of the fourth.

Trailing by four, 9-5, the Rebels erupted for 13 runs between the fourth and fifth innings with a combined 11 hits and three UCSB errors. Blando got the rally started with a solo dinger to center. Valadez kept the momentum going with a single before Ili and Haslinger accepted two free passes to load the bases. Valadez scored with ease from third when Glackin hit a grounder off Ludlow's leg, while Ili scored on a throwing error to the plate by UCSB's second baseman. The Gauchos were able to get the next out at the plate before bringing Lena Mayer into the contest to pitch. The Rebels rudely greeter Mayer with three straight hits - two-run single by Stover and RBI singles by Omalza and Blando.

Down by three runs, UCSB was able to get one back in the top of the fifth with help from a dropped fly ball by Glackin that allowed Jessica Johnston to move to second on the play. Johnston moved base to base on a groundout and a sac fly.

In the seventh, Haslinger pushed the Rebel lead back to three at 13-10 with a solo homer. They wound up juicing the bags with a single, an error and a walk. Stover then drove two in with a double. Alyssa Cordova, who had previously walked, was on third following Stover's hit and wound up scoring off a failed rundown play by UCSB's catcher. Stover came in one batter later off a sac fly. After the run-scoring fly ball, Blando hit a double to the fence and scored one batter later when Valadez laced a single to right that evoked the run rule.

Kwyn Cooper (4-2), who entered in relief in the third, picked up the win in 1.2 innings of work. She was touched for one unearned run.

Ludlow (1-9) was saddled with the loss in 3.2 innings. She allowed 11 runs (five earned) off of 10 hits. Mayer wasn't as lucky, either. She surrendered seven runs (two earned) off eight hits.

In game two, all the offense happened at the start of the contest before turning into a pitching and defensive battle.

The Rebels scored all three of their runs over the first two innings and never looked back. Blando led off the game with a single before moving to second on a sac bunt by Valadez. Ili and Glackin joined Blando on the base paths with back-to-back two-out walks before Samantha Juarez delivered a clutch, two-run double to left center.

One inning later, Blando, Valadez and Ili factored in the scoring, once again. Blando reached on a fielder's choice, which was followed by singles from Valadez and Ili to help load the bases. With two out, Haslinger stepped to the plate only to see the Mustangs' Lindsey Chalmers (6-5) uncork a wild pitch. Blando scored on the errant toss and wound up capping the game's scoring on the play.

Cooper and Ettinger were a good 1-2 punch for UNLV, as the pair combined for a five-hit shutout. The former, who got the start and allowed two hits, went the first three frames before giving way to the latter for the final four innings. Ettinger (2-3) surrendered only three hits and one walk against two strikeouts.

UNLV's defense was flawless in the affair and it helped the hurlers hold the Mustangs at bay. In all, CP left five runners on base with three of those stranded in scoring position. In fact, they had runners on second and third in the fourth, but Ettinger got a pop out to end the threat.

Chalmers was saddled with the loss in seven innings of action. She was touched for three runs off of seven hits, while walking three and striking out three.

UNLV returns to Las Vegas for its third home tournament of 2015. The Alexis Park Resort Classic begins Thursday, Feb. 26 with a single match between the Rebels and New Mexico State at 6:00 pm. DePaul, Louisiana-Monroe, Idaho State and Wisconsin round out the six-team field for the four-day tournament that runs through Sunday, March 1.

NOTES: UNLV's 18 runs scored against UCSB were the most since the 2010 edition racked up 19 against Idaho State (April 3) ... UNLV's 18 hits against UCSB were the most since the 2009 edition scattered 18 against Dartmouth (March 20) ... UNLV's 15 RBI were the most since the 2010 edition plated 17 against Idaho State (April 3) ... With help from her two homers against UCSB, Haslinger moved into tie for 10th place in UNLV's career record book for that category with 22.