University of Nevada Las Vegas
San Diego State
3/26/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV softball defeated San Diego State 7-2 on Saturday afternoon at Eller Media Stadium in the rubber match to take the three-game Mountain West series. The Rebels improve to 18-14, 2-1 while the Aztecs drop to 19-12, 1-2.
The Rebels took the initial lead for the third straight game against the Aztecs in the second inning with two runs scored. Alyssa Cordova walked to lead off the inning, and Francesca Foti then hit an infield single to the shortstop. Kwyn Cooper advanced both baserunners with a sacrifice bunt, and Courtney Beavers knocked in Cordova with the second single to the shortstop in the inning. With Alyssa Batastini up to bat, Beavers broke for second to steal the base and allowed Foti to run home before she was tagged out.
San Diego State tied the game up in the next inning. The Aztecs used a RBI-double that hit off third baseman Jamie DePippo's glove and a RBI-single up the middle right afterwards to score two runs.
UNLV took the lead for good in the bottom of the inning. Jadelyn Yadao-Valdez tripled to left field to begin the inning and scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by Garie Blando. With two outs Janine Petmecky reached on a fielding error by the shortstop, and Cordova singled to the shortstop. Francesca Foti then smacked a three-run homer, her second of the year, that just stayed inside of the left field pole to give the Rebels a 6-2 lead.
The Rebels added an insurance run in the fifth inning. DePippo singled through the left with one out and stole second base. She stole third base with two outs and ran home on the stolen base on an errant throw to score.
Petmecky switched from the designated player position and relieved Cooper in the circle in the third inning with one out. In a similar fashion to last night's game, she got herself out of a few jams to help the Aztecs leave eight on base in the game. In the third inning and runners on first and second base with one out, she got two straight ground outs to end the inning. In the same situation in the fifth inning she again produced two straight ground outs to prevent the Aztecs from scoring.
Cooper started for the 14th time this year in the circle and lasted 2.1 innings, surrendering three hits, two runs and one walk. Petmecky (3-3) earned her second straight win against San Diego State after relieving Batastini last night and gave up six hits and no walks with two strikeouts in 4.2 scoreless innings.
Foti was the only Rebel with two hits in the game, and Cordova and Foti both had two runs in the win.
UNLV will get two days off before facing San Jose State next Tuesday. The Rebels and Spartans will play a doubleheader the first day starting at 12:00 p.m. and face each other for the final game on Wednesday at 12:00 p.m.
