LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV Softball hosted a rare mid-week game on Tuesday and ended the night with its 13th victory of the season after shutting out Creighton 4-0 at Eller Media Stadium. Senior starter
Morgan Ettinger rebounded nicely from a loss on Sunday, pitching seven scoreless innings in her sixth complete game of the year. The victory gave her 11 wins on the season, a new career high, while it was her second shutout in 2017. The right-hander improved to 11-2 overall with the Rebels moving to 13-7.
Early runs have been huge for the Rebels in their wins this season, and that was again the case Tuesday as they scored a pair of runs each in the first and second innings, giving Ettinger a good cushion to work with the rest of the game.
Leadoff hitter
Mara Kemmer sparked the rally in the first with a single to shortstop, then moved to second on a
Brooke Stover groundout. After
Brianna Gatlin walked, Petmecky's groundout moved the runners to second and third with two outs. That brought first baseman
Alyssa Navarro to the plate, who sent the second pitch through the hole on the right side to bring Kemmer and Gatlin home before getting thrown out trying to take the extra base after the RBI single.
In the second inning, it was
Myranda Bueno who got things started with a one-out single and a stolen base to move into scoring position.
Jadelyn Yadao-Valdez sent a grounder to the shortstop, who launched a hurried throw in anticipation of Yadao-Valdez's speed that sailed past the first baseman. The error allowed Bueno to score from second to make it 3-0 with one on and one out. After Yadao-Valdez made it to third on a passed ball, Kemmer knocked her second hit of the day to score Yadao-Valdez and extend the lead to 4-0.
The Scarlet & Gray were held scoreless the rest of the way, but it didn't matter as Ettinger shutdown the Bluejay offense, giving up just five hits while recording five strikeouts. Even when she got into some trouble, she found a way out of it, forcing Creighton to strand at least two baserunners in three straight innings.
Tuesday marked the first of six straight games at home for the Rebels, who are hosting the Rebel Classic, March 10-12, in the last non-conference tournament before conference play begins the weekend of March 17.
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