BOX SCORES: UNLV 5 UNLV 4 // Hawai'i 6 UNLV 1HONOLULU, Hawaii (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV Softball has had the comeback magic early in the 2017 season, and while the team netted its fifth come-from-behind victory in seven tries in a 5-4 win over Montana, there wasn't enough left as the Rebels fell to Hawaii 6-1 in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader. After the split on day two of the Bank of Hawai'i Invitational in Honolulu, UNLV's record now stands at 9-4 for the season.

In the first game of the day against the Grizzlies, the Rebels struck first after Janine Petmecky's sac fly brought home Kiley Harrison for a 1-0 lead. Rebel starter Kwyn Cooper held Montana scoreless through the first two innings, but a single and a pair of errors led to a run and took her out of rhythm. With the bases loaded, freshman Breana Burke entered in relief and after two more singles and a fielder's choice, the Grizzlies scored three more runs to take a 4-1 lead. The Scarlet & Gray weren't deterred, responding right away in the bottom half of the third. After Brianna Gatlin drew a walk, Petmecky blasted her second home run of the season, this one a two-run bomb to cut the Montana lead to 4-3.

In the bottom half of the fourth, Karly Bunderson reached base on an error, representing the tying run. A bunt single by Jadelyn Yadao-Valdez and her attempt to take second allowed Bunderson to race home and even the score at four. After both teams went scoreless in the fifth, first baseman Alyssa Navarro came up to the plate and sent a solo home run out to left field to give the Rebels the lead for good and complete the comeback. It was the second-straight game the Rebels used a late home run to secure a victory. Senior Morgan Ettinger came in and pitched two scoreless innings to pick up the win in relief for the second-consecutive game, bringing her record to 8-0 on the year and matching the number of wins she had in all of 2016.

In the rematch against Hawaii, the Rebels again started fast, scoring in the first inning for the 10th time this season. Freshman Mara Kemmer, who was making her first career start in the circle, led the game off with a single and advanced to second on a passed ball, then reached third on a Gatlin single to centerfield. With runners on first and third, Petmecky picked up her fourth RBI of the day as Gatlin scored on a fielder's choice. Her 12 RBIs on the season currently rank first on the team.

Unfortunately that was the Rebels' only run and only lead of the game as Rainbow Wahine starter Dana Thomsen shutdown UNLV after that, allowing just three hits the rest of the way while striking out nine.

Kemmer gave up a two-run homer in the second, a three-run homer in third and one more run in the third to the home team, but did finish out the game with three scoreless innings.

The Rebels wrap up their weekend in the Aloha State on Sunday at noon PT with another game against the Grizzlies of Montana.

-UNLV-