LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - After having last weekend off, UNLV softball returned to action Friday night at Eller Media Stadium with a 9-4 victory over in-state rival UNR in the opening game of the Governor's Series battle. The Rebel offense seemed to pick up where they left off in the series finale in Boise almost two weeks ago when they scored a season-high 11 runs, coming up just two shy of matching that total against the Wolf Pack.

With the win, UNLV improved to 25-16 on the year and 7-9 in Mountain West play. The 25 wins match the Rebels' season total from all of last year, while the seven conference wins are one short of their total with eight games still to play. The Wolf Pack fell to 19-22 on the year and 8-10 in the Mountain West.

After a streak of seven straight Mountain West losses, the Rebels have bounced back to win four of its last five.

Senior Janine Petmecky made her usual Friday night start and kept a solid Wolf Pack offense at bay, holding them to four runs on six hits in her 12th complete game performance. It was the 16th win for the right-hander, who has the most wins by a UNLV pitcher since former Rebel Amanda Oliveto finished 2013 with 18. She added five more strikeouts - with her fifth ending the game in the seventh - to bring her season total to 116 - a new career high.

Fellow senior Alyssa Navarro, making just her 16th start of the year, had a monster night at the plate. The designated player's three-run home run in the top of the third capped a six-run inning. In her next at bat in the fourth, she stepped up to the plate with one on and two outs and she sent the ball to the wall in left field for a double that scored Mia Trejo from third to make it 9-1. The Wolf Pack came back to score three in the fifth, but the Rebel lead was too big for the Wolf Pack to overcome.

Saturday's game two will be a big one as UNLV has a chance to get its first series win over UNR since 2015.

THE TURNING POINT: The Rebels found themselves in a 1-0 hole after two and half innings, but responded immediately in the bottom of the third. A leadoff infield single by Jade Yadao-Valdez got the rally started and after a sacrifice bunt, Petmecky reached on an error to put two on with one out. Next up was sophomore Justine Federe, who sent a shot through the left side to tie the game at one. Trejo then sent the ball to the exact same spot to score another and give the Rebels the lead for good. A Brooke Stover double scored the third run of the inning and put two on to set up Navarro's three-run shot that essentially put the game away.

REBEL OF THE GAME: Navarro was feeling it Friday night. Her second home run of the season was a big one as it gave the Rebels a five-run lead in the third, while her fourth-inning double put the Rebels up eight. For the game, she went 2-of-3 with four RBI, the three-run home run, the double and a run scored.

STAT OF THE GAME: No-hit through the first two innings, the Rebels exploded for six runs on five hits in the third to take control of the game.\

QUOTABLE: Head coach Kristie Fox