Box Score: UNLV 12, DePaul 4 (5 innings)

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - One night after falling on the wrong side of a 1-0 decision to open the Alexis Park Resort Classic, the UNLV Rebels (8-8) erupted for a 12-4, five-inning win over the DePaul Blue Demons (6-9) Friday at Eller Media Stadium. The visitors from Chicago jumped out to a four-run lead after two innings of play before a combination of spotty pitching and hot hitting helped the home side flip the contest in its favor with 12 unanswered runs.

The game came to a close with a two-run blast from Garie Blando, who went 3-for-4 and factored in seven of the Rebels' runs with four RBI and three runs scored. Blando's game-ending homer was the second instance that the reigning Mountain West Player of the Year has stopped a tilt by invoking the eight-run rule with the first coming in a 12-4 triumph over UC Davis on Feb. 6. In addition, Blando joined an exclusive club to have ended a game with a home run, as she partnered with Alyssa Cordova whose walk-off shot of the three-run variety halted the affair with Bakersfield on Feb. 7.

After falling behind by four runs, the Scarlet & Gray began its push in the third inning with a pair of runs. Brooke Stover led off with a single to left and quickly made her way home when Blando laced a double to the fence in center. Blando eventually scored after a grounder moved her to third and an illegal pitch was called on DePaul starter Mary Connolly (2-6).

An inning later, UNLV sent 12 batters to the plate, who produced seven runs off of four hits, three hit-by-pitches and one walk. With one out, Francesca Foti got things started with a single up the middle, which was followed by a pair of plunkings by Connolly to Jamie DePippo and Samantha Juarez. A strikeout followed those three at-bats, but a pinch-hit two-out single by Halle Rosario kept the offensive revving. Blando followed with an RBI single of her own before Janine Petmecky plated a run of her own with a fielder's choice grounder. Moments after Connolly uncorked a wild pitch that scored a run, Merina Ili drilled a two-run double off the right-center fence to up the Rebel lead to 8-4. Ili found her way to the plate after Haslinger and Foti reached via walk and HBP, respectively, and another Connolly wild pitch.

The game came to a close on the fourth batter - Blando - of the fifth inning. Juarez led off with a single to right and motored around the base paths after a sac bunt by Stover and two more DePaul wild pitches. Emilie Valadez, who was at the plate when Juarez scored, walked on four pitches before Blando's blast.

The Blue Demon offense threatened in the first inning by getting a pair in scoring position, but Kwyn Cooper halted that opportunity; however, DePaul produced four runs off of four hits an inning later. Marsha' Pendleton led off the second with a solo homer to left for a 1-0 lead. A single and a Rebel fielding error spelled the end of Cooper's night in the circle and summoned Morgan Ettinger from the bullpen. Ettinger walked the first batter she faced to load the bases before a pop out marked the second out of the stanza. Unfortunately, DePaul got an RBI single from Connolly and a two-run single from Dylan Christensen to cap the four-run frame.

Ettinger, who earned the win behind 3.2 innings of relief work, settled down after the second an only allowed five Blue Demons to reach base the remainder of the affair. In all, only one of those made her way into scoring position - third base in the fifth. She gave up a total of five hits and two walks against one strikeout.

Cooper lasted 1.1 innings and was touched for three runs (one earned) off of four hits. She struck out one and walked one.

Connolly (2-6) was tagged with the loss in four frames of a start. She surrendered nine runs off of seven hits with two walks against three strikeouts. She had three wild pitches and three hit batsman against her line.

UNLV returns to EMS Saturday for a pair of showings against Louisiana-Monroe and Idaho State at 6:00 pm and 8:15 pm, respectively. Those two contests will conclude a six-game slate scheduled for Saturday - day three of the Alexis Park Resort Classic.