RENO (UNLVRebels.com)Â -Â The UNLV softball team bounced back Sunday with a 3-2 series-clinching win over UNR (26-23, 10-11) in the rubber match at Hixson Field. The victory not only sealed a second straight Silver State Series win for the Rebels over the Wolf Pack it officially wrapped up the all sports competition between the two schools, giving the UNLV athletic department its sixth win in the seven-year history of the rivalry trophy.
The win was also important for the the team and head coach
Kristie Fox as the Rebels snapped a stretch of three straight Mountain West series losses, while Fox notched her 200th career win as a head coach. UNLV improved to 33-14 on the year and 11-9 in conference play, matching its win total of 33 a year ago in Fox's first season.
The entirety of the Rebel runs came on home runs as freshman
Denise Armendariz blasted a two-run shot to left field in the first inning to give the Rebels the early lead and sophomore
Samantha Diaz belted what proved to be an important solo home run in the fourth to make it 3-0. UNLV now has 34 home runs through 47 games after hitting just 20 in 53 games last year.
Freshman
Jenny Bressler made her second start of the weekend and rebounded from a bit of a rough outing in a no decision Friday, allowing just two runs on six hits with six strikeouts for her 21st win of the season.
THE TURNING POINT:Â The Rebels grabbed momentum early on the Armendariz home run, which came with two strikes and two outs in the first, but the game stayed tense with UNLV up just 2-0 through three innings. Then in the fourth, Diaz picked a good time to get her first hit of the series as she sent the ball over the left field wall to extend the lead to 3-0. Bressler was cruising, but UNR managed a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead the one. The freshman stayed poised in the seventh, even after she allowed a lead off single, calmly getting the next three outs to seal the series win.
STAT OF THE GAME:Â The Rebels hit multiple home runs in a game for the second time in three games this weekend.
REBEL OF THE GAME:Â Bressler, who has had a fantastic first collegiate campaign but has struggled in closing out games during conference play, was impressive in her Sunday start. She collected six strikeouts in her 14th complete game, which included strikeouts to end each of the first four innings. She is now 21-5 on the year with a 2.21 ERA and a team-best 137 strikeouts.
QUOTABLES:Â
"I like the fight this team has and they stick together. We bounced back after a tough one on Saturday to take an important series. This whole conference this year is tough and every game is a battle."
- Head coach Kristie Fox
UP NEXT:Â The Rebels return home for their final regular season series, hosting New Mexico Thursday through Saturday, May 9-11, on senior weekend at Eller Media Stadium.
REBEL NOTES:Â
* The Rebels lead the all-time series 25-13 and have won back-to-back series against UNR for the first time since they won three straight from 2013-15Â
* Head coach
Kristie Fox now has 33 wins in each of her first two seasons at the helm
* Sixty six of Fox's 200 career wins have come at UNLV
* The Rebels have been almost unstoppable when they score first as they are 27-3 when that happens
* The Rebels are 26-5 when they out-hit their opponent and 7-0 when they hit two home runs or more
* Armendariz has now started six straight games at the designated player, going 9-for-18 (.500) with two home runs (both this weekend), three doubles, six RBI and four runs scored over that stretch
* Federe also had a stellar weekend at the plate, going 5-for-10 (.500) with three doubles, a RBI and a run scored, that included a 3-for-3 day with two doubles in Sunday's win
* UNLV has held its opponents to three runs or fewer in 28 out of 47 games this year
* Bressler has allowed three runs or fewer in 23 of her 27 starts in 2019
*Â UNLV didn't commit an error all weekend and have just 29 in 47 games
* Rebels have outscored its opponents 245-130 in 2019
