LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV softball team started Mountain West play on a high note, winning game three against Boise State (5-12, 0-3) Sunday with a 4-0 shutout to complete the series sweep. It was exactly the way the Rebels wanted to start its conference slate after they ended the previous weekend with an 0-4 record and a canceled game.
The victory improved UNLV's record to 14-8 overall and 3-0 in the league standings, which is tied for first with Fresno State after the opening weekend of play. The Rebels have won their first league series every year under head coach Kristie Fox (no conference games were played in 2020), while the sweep Sunday is their first conference-opening series sweep in the Fox era.
Junior Jenny Bressler showed why she is the Rebels' ace as the Broncos had trouble getting anything going off the Canton, Michigan, native. The right hander completely shut down the Boise State offense, going 2-0 and allowing just one run on five hits with 17 strikeouts in 14.0 innings pitched in a pair of complete games. That included Sunday's one-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts, where the Broncos only had four baserunners total the entire game. Bressler is now 7-4 with a 2.41 ERA and 76 strikeouts on the season and seems to just be hitting her groove at the perfect time.
The offense was clutch when it needed to be Sunday as the Rebels took advantage of a pair of Boise State errors in the first inning, going up 1-0 on a Janyssa Martin sacrifice fly. It stayed that way until the bottom of the fourth when UNLV put two on with a Janyssa Martin hit by pitch and a pinch-hit walk from fellow freshman Alexsi Barashkoff. Saturday's star Maddie Schmidt loaded the bases with a single and freshman Alyssa Lopez delivered with a pinch-hit RBI single to make it 2-0. That brought up senior Justine Federe, who singled up the middle to score two more and all but put the game out of reach with the way Bressler was dealing in the circle.
Schmidt had quite the weekend at the plate and in the field as the sophomore added another spectacular diving catch in left to rob the Broncos of a hit in the fifth inning. The Yorba Linda, California native has quietly been the spark plug for UNLV all year, but her impact was loud and clear in the series sweep at Eller Media Stadium.
Overall it was a promising performance for the offense, who were missing a few key pieces and had struggled on the road in LA last weekend. Ten different Rebels registered at least one hit, while seven had at least two. Schmidt led the way with five total, while Janyssa Martin and junior Denise Armendariz both recorded four, including two doubles apiece.
UP NEXT: UNLV will be on the road next weekend for its first Mountain West road series, taking on San Diego State, March 27 and 28, in San Diego. Saturday will feature a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. with Sunday's finale set for 12 p.m.
