BOX SCORES:
UNLV 7 Utah Valley 2 //
Montana 6 UNLV 2ST. GEORGE, Utah (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV Softball found itself on the good side and the bad side of lopsided scores on day two at the Red Desert Classic in St. George, Utah, as the Rebels split their Saturday doubleheader. After running away from Utah Valley with a 7-2 victory in game one, the Scarlet & Gray saw the Grizzlies do the same as the Rebels fell 6-2 in game two. With the split, the Rebels record moves to 12-6 on the season.
Making her second start on the year, freshman
Mara Kemmer (1-1) found her groove against Utah Valley, pitching 4.0 innings and giving up just two runs on six hits with four strikeouts en route to earning her first career collegiate win. After scoring six runs in the previous four games, the Rebel offense exploded for 12 hits and seven runs on the Wolverine pitching staff, which included a four-run inning to put the game out of reach.
Alyssa Navarro opened up the scoring in the second inning after reaching base on a leadoff single, then made it to third on a wild pitch and sac bunt. Junior third baseman
Jadelyn Yadao-Valdez brought Navarro home with a two-out single to give the Rebels a 1-0 before she was thrown out trying to take second base on the play. In the next inning, shortstop
Karly Bunderson got the rally going with another leadoff single, then stole second to get in scoring position. Kemmer was up next and sent a single down the right field line, scoring Bunderson for the 2-0 lead. It was the third-straight game the Scarlet & Gray had put up runs in the second and third innings.
The big fourth inning for UNLV started with another leadoff single, this time by
Myranda Bueno. After Yadao-Valdez reached on an error, Bunderson used a sac bunt to put runners on second and third with one out. The next batter, pinch hitter
Chrissi Omalza, brought Bueno home when she reached on an error, followed by another groundout RBI by catcher
Brooke Stover. A
Brianna Gatlin walk, a passed ball and a Gatlin stolen base put runners on second and third with two outs and
Janine Petmecky at the plate. The junior sent a single up the middle on the third pitch to bring Omalza and Gatlin home for the 6-0 lead.
The Wolverines scored their runs off Kemmer in the fourth and fifth innings before the Rebels added an insurance run in the seventh thanks to a RBI single by
Kiley Harrison to provide the final margin of 7-2.
Facing Montana for the third time in the last week, Saturday's contest served as the rubber match after the two teams traded wins in Hawaii last weekend. Freshman
Charlie Masterson, who pitched 3.0 scoreless innings against Utah Valley to help preserve the win, made her second start on the season and couldn't quite shut down the Grizzlies as she allowed three runs on five hits in 2.0 innings. Kemmer entered the game in relief of Masterson and kept the Rebels in the game until a three-run six ended UNLV's comeback bid.
Montana starter Maddy Stensby was able to quiet the Rebel bats, holding them scoreless through the first four innings while the Griz built a 3-0 lead. UNLV did get to Stensby in the top of the fifth with two singles by Yadao-Valdez and Bunderson and an error to make it 3-1. The Rebels cut the Montana lead to 3-2 in the top of the sixth when Petmecky doubled with one out and Navarro singled to put runners on the corners. The Grizzlies brought in a new pitcher to face Harrison, who was able to bring Petmecky home with an RBI groundout, but that was all the Scarlet & Gray could get. Montana went on to score three in the bottom half of the inning and that was the game.
Overall, Petmecky led the way at the plate on the day, going 5-for-7 (.714) with two doubles, two RBIs and one run scored.
The Rebels will wrap up the weekend on Sunday morning against Binghamton in the first-ever meeting between the two schools. First pitch is set for 9 a.m. PT.
-UNLV- 