LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV softball team pushed its winning streak to seven with a pair of victories Friday on day one of the Boyd Gaming Classic at Eller Media Stadium. The Rebels took down UTEP 3-1 in game one, then shut out New Mexico State 3-0 in the night cap to move to 14-4 on the year.
The current seven-game win streak is the longest in three seasons under coach Kristie Fox, while it is the longest for UNLV since the 2010 squad won 10 straight at one point during that season.
This is also the second straight season the Rebels have started 14-4, which is tied for the second-best start through 18 games in program history. The 1995 squad owns the best mark at 15-3.
While the Rebel offense wasn't as explosive as it had been over the final three games in Tennessee last weekend, it was clutch when it needed to be. With the game against UTEP (4-12) tied 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth, freshman Alyssa Trejo stepped to the plate as a pinch-hitter and sent a double all the way to the wall to score two and take the lead for good. In game two, it was the familiar hero of senior Justine Federe who drove in what proved to be the game-winning run in the third inning against New Mexico State (9-5).
Finding enough superlatives to describe the pitching staff in 2020 is getting more and more difficult as the group continues to turn in impressive performances. The story of Friday's games was resiliency by starters Charlie Masterson and Jenny Bressler as both found themselves in some trouble at times and managed to get out of it - mostly- unscathed. Each turned in complete-game performances, with Masterson allowing one run on six hits with four strikeouts for her fifth win, while Bressler picked up her sixth win after allowing just three hits with eight strikeouts.
Masterson, Bressler and senior Breana Burke entered the weekend with a combined ERA (1.36) that ranked eighth in all of NCAA softball and they lowered it to 1.26 after Friday's contests. They have now allowed two runs or fewer in 14 of 18 games this year, which includes six shutouts.
Game 1 Recap (UNLV vs. UTEP): UNLV took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a Mia Trejo single up the middle that scored Federe from second base, but UTEP battled back to tie it on a sacrifice fly in the third. Masterson had gotten into a jam with runners on first and third with one out, but she limited the damage allowing just the one run. The next two innings the Miners put two on with one out both frames, but Masterson never flinched and worked out of each situation without any more runs crossing the plate. Then in the bottom of the sixth, Mia Trejo and Samantha Diaz sent back-to-back singles through the left side to put two on with one out. Fox sent Mia's sister Alyssa Trejo out to pinch-hit and she delivered by blasting a double all the way to the wall to score both runs before Masterson closed it out with a one-two-three seventh.
Game 2 Recap (UNLV vs. New Mexico State): Bressler found herself in some trouble in the top of the third as the Aggies began the inning with two straight singles, then got runners to second and third on a groundout. After a groundout back to her and a walk, the bases were loaded with two outs and she was able to come up with a big strikeout to keep NMSU off the board. The sophomore seemed to lock in after that as she retired 11 of the final 13 batters. Meanwhile, the offense got going in the third as junior Jaclyn Candelas got on with an infield single, then scored on a RBI double by Federe with two outs. Freshman Maddie Scmidt then brought Federe home with an infield single of her own and the Rebels were up 2-0. UNLV added an insurance run in the sixth on back-to-back triples by Alyssa Trejo and Lauren Tycksen and the Aggies never threatened in the seventh.
UP NEXT: The Rebels will face New Mexico State for a second time 3 p.m. Saturday then take on Houston, who won both its games by run-rule on Friday and also enters day two with a 14-4 record, at 5:30 p.m. The second day of the Boyd Gaming Classic gets started with a 10 a.m. contest between UTEP and New Mexico State and then Houston faces UTEP at 12:30 p.m. in the second game of the day.
