LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV softball team completed its second Mountain West series sweep to close out the regular season with a 2-0 shutout over New Mexico (12-41, 3-21) on senior day at Eller Media Stadium. It was the second tight contest in three games between the two squads and like Thursday's opener, the Rebels used stingy pitching and a timely hit to cap their second straight league series win.
UNLV won four straight and eight of its last nine to finish 36-14 and 14-9 in conference play. The 36 wins are the most since the 2007 squad collected 37, while the 14 conference wins are the most in league play since 2014. The Rebels finished in third place in the Mountain West standings behind champion Colorado State and second-place San Jose State.
With the Rams earning the conference's automatic bid, the postseason fate is now up to the NCAA Division I Softball Committee. With 36 wins, a RPI of 43 and six wins over the top-50, the Rebels have a strong resume for an at-large bid, which would be their first since 2009. The 64-team bracket will be announced live on ESPN2 at 6 p.m. PT Sunday night.
For a second consecutive day the tandem of
Jenny Bressler and
Charlie Masterson shut down the Lobo offense. Bressler made her 30th start of the season and allowed just one hit in 4.1 innings pitched with four strikeouts, picking up her 23rd win. Masterson entered in relief in the fourth and picked up right where Bressler led off, giving up just three hits over the final 2.2 innings with four strikeouts - including two straight to end the game with two runners on - for the save.
New Mexico's Kiana Spencer, who held the Rebels to two runs in the opener - again stymied the Rebels in game three, but the UNLV offense came through when it needed to. While most of the lineup had trouble figuring out Spencer, sophomore
Samantha Diaz had her number. On Thursday, Diaz delivered with a two-out RBI in the sixth to lift UNLV to a 2-1 victory and on Saturday, it was a two-out two-run home run in the bottom of the third that propelled the Rebels to victory.
THE TURNING POINT: Like the series opener, it was another pitcher's duel in game three as both teams went scoreless through two and half. That changed in the bottom of the third when
Justine Federe led off with a single to centerfield - extending her hitting streak to eight games - to put a runner on with no outs. Two lineouts to third left Federe on first with two outs and it looked as if the Lobos might get out of the inning after allowing the leadoff runner to reach, but Diaz made sure that wasn't the case as she sent Spencer's first pitch over the left field wall for the 2-0 lead - her career-high seventh home run of the year.
STAT OF THE SERIES: The Rebels used just two pitchers all weekend - Bressler and Masterson - and the two were brilliant, combining to allow just one run on nine hits in three games with two shutouts and 26 strikeouts.
REBEL OF THE GAME: Bressler capped an outstanding regular season with her 23rd win. That's the most for a freshman since Amanda Oliveto had 21 in 2011, while the 23 wins rank seventh all-time in a single season in program history. For the series, Bressler went 2-0 with a 0.57 ERA, allowing just one run on five hits in 12.1 innings pitched to go along with 17 strikeouts.
SENIOR DAY: It was senior day at Eller Media Stadium and the Rebels honored three awesome seniors at the conclusion of Saturday's regular season finale - left fielder
Myranda Bueno, catcher
Kiley Harrison and catcher
Abby Howard. Prior to the contest, the senior parents through out the first pitch and after the seniors and their families were introduced onto the field, where each senior received framed jerseys.
REBEL NOTES:
* The Rebels lead the all-time series against New Mexico 57-32
* UNLV finished the 2019 conference slate 4-3-1 in league series
* The Rebels completed back-to-back 30-win seasons for the first time since 2009-2010
* Head coach
Kristie Fox now has 69 wins over her first two seasons, tying the program mark for most wins for a head coach in his/her first two seasons
* This was the 14th shutout for UNLV in 2019, the most for the Rebels since 2005
* The Rebel pitching staff finished the regular season with a 2.39 ERA, the lowest since 2005, and 261 strikeouts, the most since 2008
* The Rebels were almost unstoppable when they scored first as they were 30-3 when that happens
*
Justine Federe was the top performer at the plate against New Mexico, going 5-for-9 (.556) with four runs scored, one double and two RBI. The junior also finished the regular season on a eight-game hitting streak
* After shuffling designated players throughout the year, freshman
Denise Armendariz started the final nine games in the spot and went 11-for-27 (.407) with two home runs, three doubles, seven RBI and four runs scored over that stretch
* UNLV has held its opponents to three runs or fewer in 31 out of 50 games this year
* UNLV's .979 fielding percentage and 30 total errors are the best marks in a single-season in those categories in program history
* Rebels outscored its opponents 257-131 in 2019
