RENO (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV softball team kept its record perfect in Mountain West series openers in 2019 with a 10-7 win over UNR (25-22, 9-10) in a wild game one of the annual Silver State Series Friday afternoon in Reno. The Rebels improved to 7-0 in the first game against league opponents this season and will have a chance Saturday to capture a second consecutive series win over the Wolf Pack.
With its fourth straight win, UNLV moved to 32-13 overall and 10-8 in conference play, extending its lead to a game and a half over UNR in the Mountain West standings. The Rebels need just one win to match last year's total of 33 with five games still to play in the regular season.
The Scarlet and Gray also remained perfect in games it has scored six runs or more this year, moving to 23-0, while the Rebels registered double-digit hits for the 25th time in 45 games. Against the Wolf Pack, seven different Rebels recorded hits, with four -
Lauren Tycksen,
Reina Bondi,
Denise Armendariz and
Myranda Bueno - knocking multiple hits.
Freshman
Jenny Bressler made the start in the circle and gave up a season-high seven runs in 5.2 innings pitched before giving way to junior
Charlie Masterson, who got the final four outs to pick up her fifth win and first in Mountain West play.
THE TURNING POINT: A 3-1 game through four innings turned into a back and forth affair in the fifth. After the Rebels took a 4-1 lead in the top half on an Armendariz home run, UNR sent two of its own over the wall to cut the lead to 4-3 after the fifth. UNLV responded with three runs in the top of the sixth to make it 7-3 and it seemed as if the Rebels would win easily, but UNR bounced right back with four runs in the bottom half to tie it up at seven. The Rebels didn't let it phase them as Armendariz led off with a single and two fielder's choices that didn't result in outs loaded the bases. Senior
Kiley Harrison then drew a walk to bring home the go-ahead run, followed by back-to-back RBI singles from Tycksen and Bondi to push the lead back to three. Masterson made quick work of the Wolf Pack in the bottom of the seventh, including a strikeout to seal the win.
STAT OF THE GAME: The two teams combined for five home runs in the game, a single-game high for a UNLV contest this year.
CO-REBELS OF THE GAME: The trio of Bondi, Armendariz and Bueno went 8-for-13 with six RBI, four runs scored and two home runs.
UP NEXT: The Silver State Series continues Saturday at 1 p.m. with the Rebels eyeing a second straight series win over UNR. It would be the first back-to-back series wins over the Wolf Pack since UNLV won three straight from 2013-15.
REBEL NOTES:
* The Rebels extended their lead to 24-12 in the all-time series
* UNLV needs just one win to match last year's total of 33 with five regular season games still left to play, while head coach
Kristie Fox needs one wins to reach 200 total in her head coaching career
* UNLV has scored six or more runs in 23 of 45 games and are 23-0 in those games
* The Rebels out-hit their opponent for the 30th time this season and improved to 25-5 when they do so
* Junior
Lauren Tycksen stole her 23rd base of the season, which leads the team and the Mountain West. She also had her 22nd multi-hit game in 45 starts this season - a team-best
* Armendariz has started four straight games at the designated player, going 8-for-13 (.615) with a home run, three doubles, four RBI and three runs scored over that stretch
* Bueno had entered her senior campaign with just one career home run and now has three this season after Friday's solo shot. The pair of home runs Friday gave UNLV 32 on the year after hitting just 20 total in 53 games a year ago
* UNLV didn't commit an error Friday and has just 29 in 45 games
* Rebels have outscored its opponents 242-120 in 2019
