CONWAY, S.C. (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV softball team made it four straight wins as the Rebels beat Radford 8-3 and tournament-host Coastal Carolina 10-1 in dominating fashion Saturday at the Chanticleer Showdown. The offense exploded for 18 runs on 21 hits over the two contests, while the pitching trio of Charlie Masterson, Breana Burke and Jenny Bressler allowed just four runs on 10 hits in 12 innings pitched.

The Rebels improved to 14-3 on the season, marking the second-best start through the first 17 games in program history. The 1995 squad owns the best mark at 15-2.

Coming into Saturday, UNLV had hit seven home runs through 15 games before hitting four over the two games, including three against Coastal Carolina. The offensive prowess was particularly impressive against the Chanticleers, who entered the matchup with an identical 13-3 record and a top-10 ERA in the country at 0.99.

While there were several impressive offensive performances Saturday, second baseman Justine Federe was the standout, going 3-for-5 (.600) with a two-run home run, a three-run home run, six RBI and four runs scored. The junior also extended her hitting streak to 10 games.

Overall, the Rebels continue to fire on all cylinders, scoring six or more runs in a game for the 10th and 11th times this season, while limiting opponents to three runs or less for 11th and 12th times. The defense only committed one error on the day - just its sixth all year.

GAME ONE: UNLV 8 Radford  3

THE TURNING POINT: UNLV took a 4-0 lead in the first, but Radford cut it to two by the top of the fifth. The Rebels immediately responded in the bottom half of the frame. Mia Trejo led off the inning with a single and after Jaclyn Candelas stole second as her pinch runner, Federe launched a two-run shot over the left field wall to extend the lead back to four. A Samantha Diaz single, a CC Caccmise walk and a Denise Armendariz sacrifice fly added a third run, while a Lauryn Barker RBI double capped the four-run inning that put the game away.

STAT OF THE GAME: The trio of Lauren Tycksen, Justine Federe and Samantha Diaz combined to go 6-for-10 and accounted for half of the runs scored and five of the eight runs batted in.

CO-REBELS OF THE GAME: Masterson was her consistent self, giving up just the three runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings pitched to move to 4-0 on the year. Masterson's six strikeouts were a season-high and just one off her career high of seven she set last year against New Mexico. Federe was stellar as well, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. The fifth-inning home run was her first of the season.

GAME TWO: UNLV 10 Coastal Carolina 1 (5)

THE TURNING POINT: Coastal Carolina starter Ashley Guillette had allowed just 10 earned runs in 50.2 innings pitched in 2019, but the Rebels weren't intimidated. Tycksen led off the game with a single and Trejo made them pay with her second home run of the season for the 2-0 lead. After freshman Statia Cermak was hit by a pitch, Diaz hit a bomb to center for her second home run of the year and for the second straight game the Rebels were up 4-0 in the first inning. Federe added a three-run jack in the third and the game was all but won.

STAT OF THE GAME: The Rebels' three home runs were a single-game season high. All three were of the multi-run variety.

CO-REBELS OF THE GAME: Bressler continues to be in impressive early in her collegiate career. She earned her eighth win after giving up just one run on two hits in five innings. She added five more strikeouts and leads the team with 48 total. The foursome of Tycksen, Trejo, Federe and Diaz went 8-for-11 (.727) with 8 RBI and five runs scored.

REBEL NOTES: 
* It was UNLV's fifth run-rule victory of the year
* Diaz is having a breakout weekend at the plate. In three games, she's gone 8-for-10 with two doubles, four RBIs three runs scored and a home run
* Federe is also having herself a weekend, going 5-for-9 with seven RBI, five runs scored, one double and two home runs
* Senior Myranda Bueno's six game hitting streak came to an end Saturday 
* Junior Lauren Tycksen extended her hitting streak to seven games and went 5-for-8 to spark the offense at the top of the lineup
* Seven different players recorded two hits or more over the two games: (Diaz 5-for-6; Tycksen (5-for-8); Federe 3-for-5; Trejo 2-for-5; Barker 2-for-6; Cermak 2-for-6; Bondi 2-for-6)
* Freshman Statia Cermak now has reached base safely in 13 straight games, the longest by any Rebel this season
* Jenny Bressler had another impressive outing and is now 8-1 with a 2.29 ERA having give up just 19 total runs with 48 strikeouts with five complete games
* Burke made a relief appearance against Radford, pitching 1.1 scoreless innings allowing just one hit with one strikeout to close out the win
* The pitching staff as a whole has been impressive with a combined 2.38 ERA
* UNLV went 4-for-5 on stolen base attempts to move to 34-38 on the season, surpassing the 31 they had all of last season
* UNLV is outscoring its opponents 107-40
* It was another stellar defensive performance without an error by the Rebels; UNLV has committed just six errors all season and have yet to commit more than one in a game