Box Score: UNLV 3, Eastern Kentucky 2
Box Score: UNLV 8, Houston 7 (8 innings)

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV softball team (13-10) picked up two victories Saturday against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, 3-2, and Houston Cougars, 8-7, in the Rebel Classic at Eller Media Stadium. In both contests, the Rebels wound up winning both in their final at-bats with a solo home run in the sixth against EKU (9-10) and a walk-off RBI single in the seventh against UH (11-13).

With the wins, the Scarlet & Gray has won three straight and six of its last eight.

The Rebel offense was paced by seven of their players with at least two hits, including a team-high four from Alyssa Cordova and three from Francesca Foti. Merina Ili led all with three RBI, while Emily Haslinger and Garie Blando were tops in runs with two apiece.

Against EKU, the Rebels broke a 2-all tie in the sixth inning with a solo home run to straightaway center by Ili. That run held as the eventual game-winner after the Colonels threatened in the top of the seventh. EKU got a one-out double from Kayla Joyce to put the would-be tying run on, but Foti (2-1) managed to get a groundout and a fly out to end the affair.

The final out - via the air - was a bit suspenseful, as left fielder Emile Valadez had to make a diving catch to keep Sarah Jackson's ball from landing for a hit.

UNLV struck first with a run in the second with a double to right center from Haslinger and a sacrifice fly from Jamie DePippo. A sacrifice bunt by Cordova pushed Haslinger to third prior to DePippo's fly.

EKU answered back with a run off a fielding error in the third before it pushed out for a one-run lead one stanza later when Jackson scattered an RBI single. Joyce came around from second on the go-ahead hit after she initially reached on a double.

The Rebels pulled even in the home half of the fourth with help from Haslinger and Cordova, once again. The former reached on a one-out walk before the latter hit a run-scoring double to left for a 2-2 stalemate.

Foti was credited with the win in 3.0, scoreless innings of relief. She was touched for three hits and allowed three walks. She relieved Kwyn Cooper, who got the start and lasted 4.0 frames after allowing two runs (one earned) off of six hits.

EKU's Shaylon Robb (4-3) was saddled with the loss in 5.2 innings of work. She surrendered three runs off of six hits.

Against UH, the Rebels were forced to play an extra inning due to an errant throw that, unfortunately, led to a pair of runs that tied the game at 6-all in the seventh. Moments after the Cougars took a one-run lead, 7-6, in the top half of the eighth, UNLV countered with two scores in the bottom for the 8-7 win.

The Rebels opened up a five run lead through two innings thanks to six hits and two Cougar errors. Four of those runs came in the opening frame with RBI from Foti, Rosario and Stover. The other one was a result of a wild pitch uncorked by Kayla Maxwell that allowed Foti to score. The lone tally in the second was from an RBI groundout by Ili that plated Samantha Juarez, who had reached via a one-out triple.

The Cougars clawed back into the affair with three runs in the third behind a two-run single by Kaylin Crumpton and a sac fly by Shelby Miller.

UNLV got one run back in the fourth when Blando scored off an RBI single by Ili. Blando had reached via fielder's choice and moved to third off a stolen base and a wild pitch by Julana Shrum (4-6).

In the seventh, UH got its inning-tying rally going with back-to-back singles by Kayla Holland and Katie St. Pierre. After a pop out, Selena Hernandez had an RBI double to left center that scored Holland and moved St. Pierre to third. Morgan Ettinger (6-5) was able induce consecutive grounders with Blando taking care of the first at shortstop. The second, on the other hand, was fielded cleanly by Ettinger, but thrown errantly to first and, subsequently, allowed both Cougars to score.

With the international tiebreaker put in play in the eighth, UH was able to score its runner (Kris Davila) that was placed on second after a sac bunt and an RBI single by Shrum. UNLV, meanwhile, made the most of its half of the stanza. Valadez was put on second and took third when Jade Yadao-Valdez's sac bunt was thrown away. Blando followed the error with a sac fly to bring about another stalemate at 7-all. Yadao-Valdez later stole second and wound up at third when the Davila threw errantly from her catcher's position. Juarez then capped the game's scorig with a single to left center.

Ettinger (6-5) picked up the win in a complete-game effort (8.0 innings). She was allowed two runs (one earned) off of seven hits. She walked one, but struck out two.

Shrum was tagged with the loss in 5.1 innings of relief. She gave up three runs (one earned) off of six hits. She fanned five against two walks.

UNLV closes out the Rebel Classic Sunday afternoon with a 1:30 contest against UC Santa Barbara. It will be the second meeting between the two squads, as the Rebels bested the Guachos, 18-10 in five innings, two weeks ago (Feb. 22) at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, Calif.