WATCH: Highlights from our 2-1 series-opening win over New Mexico to kick off senior weekend at Eller Media Stadium! Our 34 wins surpasses last year's total of 33 and are the most since we won 37 in 2007! #BEaREBEL pic.twitter.com/zfqlpTl6Oe

— UNLV Softball (@UNLVSoftball) May 10, 2019

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV softball team kicked off senior weekend at Eller Media Stadium with a narrow 2-1 win over New Mexico (12-39, 3-19) Thursday night to open the final series of the regular season. The Rebels captured the win behind an 11-strikeout performance by freshman Jenny Bressler and a late two-out RBI by sophomore Samantha Diaz in the sixth inning. 

UNLV has now won six of its last seven games to improve to 34-14 and 12-9 in conference play, surpassing last year's total of 33 and marking the most wins since the 2007 squad won 37. The Rebels also have back-to-back 30-win seasons in the first two years under head coach Kristie Fox and for the first time since 2009-10. 

Bressler was brilliant in picking up her Mountain West-leading 22nd win, striking out six batters over the first three innings and three of the final four batters in the seventh to seal the game. Diaz came through in the field and at the plate, turning a double play in the fourth and delivering with a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth to bring home the game-winning run.

THE TURNING POINT: The two teams traded scoreless frames until the bottom of the fifth, when Myranda Bueno led off with a single and came around to score on a Lauryn Barker hit and a Lobo throwing error for a 1-0 UNLV lead. New Mexico responded, however, knocking a solo home run to center in the top of the sixth to tie the game up at one. This didn't deter the Rebels as Justine Federe led off with a single, her second of the night, and Denise Armendariz put two on with another single. After Federe advanced to third on a fly ball to right, it was time for Diaz's heroics, delivering with the only two-out hit for UNLV of the night to bring Federe home.

STAT OF THE GAME: With the win, UNLV officially went a perfect 8-0 in conference openers in 2019.

REBEL OF THE GAME: Bressler's freshman campaign has been nothing short of impressive. She turned in her 15th complete game, while her 11 strikeouts were three more than her previous season high. The righty allowed just the one solo home run on three total hits. Her 138 strikeouts lead the Mountain West and she dropped her ERA to 2.17 for the season.
UP NEXT: The Rebels will go for the series win Friday with game two against the Lobos at 4 p.m. at Eller Media Stadium

REBEL NOTES: 
* The Rebels lead the all-time series 55-32 and will be going for a second straight series win over the Lobos on Friday 
* Head coach Kristie Fox now has 67 wins over her first two seasons, just two shy of tying the program mark for most wins for a head coach in his/her first two years
* The Rebels have been almost unstoppable when they score first as they are 28-3 when that happens
* The Rebels are 27-5 when they out-hit their opponents
* UNLV was held hitless over the first three innings, but collected seven over the final three
* Justine Federe was the only Rebel to record a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 to extend her hitting streak to six games. She also scored the game-winning run
* Freshman Denise Armendariz has now started seven straight games at the designated player, and after a 1-for 3 night is now 10-for-21 (.476) with two home runs, three doubles, six RBI and four runs scored over that stretch
* UNLV has held its opponents to three runs or fewer in 29 out of 48 games this year
* Bressler has allowed three runs or fewer in 24 of her 28 starts in 2019
* UNLV didn't commit an error in the game and have a conference-best 29 in 48 games
* Rebels have outscored its opponents 247-131 in 2019
--