April 29, 2018 Box Score
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - For the second straight Mountain West series, UNLV softball had a chance for the series sweep Sunday, but came up short against the Wolf Pack in an 8-1 loss in the finale at Eller Media Stadium. Despite the loss, the Rebels still nabbed the series win against UNR (20-23, 9-11) and picked up three points for UNLV in the Governor's Series, the annual all-sports competition between the in-state rivals sponsored by Nevada Energy and Barrick Gold.
UNLV (26-17, 8-10) hit a pair of milestones over the weekend, surpassing its season win total from 2017 with its 26th victory Saturday, which is the most for the program since the 2011 squad went 27-18, while it matched its conference win total from a year ago with six games left to play. The series victory also guaranteed that the Rebels will finish with an above-.500 record for the first time in seven years.
The first two games of the weekend saw the Rebel offense explode for early runs, but it was the Wolf Pack's turn to do the same Sunday. Sophomore
Breana Burke made just her seventh start of the season and pitched two scoreless innings before she got into some trouble in the third and was responsible for three runs in the inning. Fellow sophomore
Charlie Masterson allowed a pair in relief of Burke before giving way to Petmecky, who went the rest of the way.
Senior
Alyssa Navarro helped the Rebels avoid the shutout with a towering solo home run in the bottom of the fourth. It was the first hit of the game for the Rebels, who scattered five total over the final four innings. It was also the second homer of the weekend for Navarro, who hit a three-run shot in the third inning of the series opener.
After losing three straight Mountain West series, the Rebels have now won its last two and have three MW series wins overall. The final two regular season series will be tough as they face first-place Fresno State on the road next weekend before wrapping up with Colorado State at home on senior weekend.
THE TURNING POINT: Burke allowed a double and single to start the third, but only one run scored initially thanks to a double play. The next batter hit a routine grounder to second baseman Justine Federe, but the sophomore had trouble handling it and her throw to first baseman Mia Trejo was low and the runner was safe. The error cost the Rebels the third out of the inning and UNR went on to score four more runs and take control of the game.
STAT OF THE GAME: After scoring 16 runs on 15 hits over the first two games of the series, UNLV was limited to one run on five hits in game three.
QUOTABLE: Head coach Kristie Fox: On what happened Sunday:
"Sundays are all about playing defense, we didn't and they did and that was the difference maker."
On what she wants to see from her team over the final two regular season weekends:
"We've just got to keep fighting. We've hit some milestones this week that this program hasn't hit in a long time, so I think there is a lot of positive moving forward. For us to break that 25-win mark and guarantee ourselves an above-.500 season, there's a lot of positive things, but we aren't done yet. We want to have an opportunity to make the other postseason tournament [National Invitational Softball Championship], so we've just got to keep fighting and take it one game at a time."
REBEL NOTES:
* The Rebels have won two straight series after three consecutive MW series losses. However, Sunday's loss means they have yet to sweep a series this year
* UNLV has won five of its last seven conference games after a streak of seven straight Mountain West losses * The 26 wins this season are one more than the 25 in all of 2017 and are the program's most since winning 27 in 2011. The eight conference wins match last season's total with seven games left to play
* UNLV has guaranteed itself of an above-.500 record for the first time in seven years
* After having just nine home runs through the first 37 games of the season, the Rebels have hit seven over its last six games
* This weekend, the Rebels captured their first Governor's Series win over UNR since 2015.
UP NEXT FOR THE REBELS: UNLV will head out on its last road trip of 2018, taking on Fresno State, May 4-6. The Bulldogs currently sit in first place in the Mountain West at 30-18 overall and 13-5 in league play. Series first pitch set for Friday at 6 p.m.
