BANK OF HAWAI'I INVITATIONAL//RAINBOW WAHINE SOFTBALL STADIUM//FEB. 24-26

BOX SCORE: Montana 6 UNLV 0HONOLULU, Hawaii (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV Softball finished out the Bank of Hawai'i Invitational with a 6-0 loss to Montana (5-9) on Sunday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium in Honolulu. The Rebels went 2-3 on the weekend, moving their record to 9-5 on the year.

Senior Morgan Ettinger (8-1), who has already matched her win total from 2016, suffered her first loss in her sixth start in the circle. The right-hander gave up one run in the first inning, but really got in trouble in the top of fourth as the Grizzlies scored five runs on five hits and two errors to take a 6-0 lead they never relinquished. Overall, she went 4.0 innings, giving up the six earned runs on 11 hits. Freshman Charlie Masterson entered the game in relief in the top of fifth and recorded three scoreless innings and two strikeouts.

The Rebel offense has been strong so far this season, but Montana starter Michaela Hood (1-1) helped the Grizzlies become the first team to shutout the Scarlet & Gray with a complete-game four-hit performance. After scoring 13 runs over the first three games of the weekend, including four home runs, the bats went cold in the final two games as the team managed just one run and seven hits over 14 innings.

Despite the finish, there were some positives at the plate at the tournament. Brianna Gatlin had another solid offensive weekend, going 5-of-14 (.357), including a two-run home run against No. 5 Oregon, to improve her team-leading batting average to .390 on the year. Junior Janine Petmecky came up huge with six RBIs over the five games and now has 12 to lead the all Rebels in 2017. Freshman Justine Federe and junior transfer Alyssa Navarro each hit what proved to be game-winning home runs late in each of the two victories. Federe turned in the top average at the plate in Hawaii, going 6-for-15 (.400) on the weekend.

Gatlin and fellow transfer Kiley Harrison both earned All-Tournament honors.

Up next, the Rebels will be on the road for the second-straight weekend, this time heading just up I-15 to St. George, Utah for the Red Desert Classic. They will play five games over three days, beginning with a contest against Southern Utah on Friday, March 3 at 2 p.m. PT. The Rebels beat the Thunderbirds 4-0 on the opening weekend of the season at the Sportco Kick Off Classic at Eller Media Stadium.

-UNLV-