SAN DIEGO, CA (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV softball team opened its first Mountain West road trip of the season with a split in Saturday's doubleheader at San Diego State, winning game one 1-0 before coming up just short in a 7-6 loss in 10 innings in game two.
The Rebels moved to 15-9 overall and 4-1 in conference play, with their four-game winning streak coming to an end with the game two loss.
The day's first game was a pitcher's duel between Rebel ace Jenny Bressler and Aztec ace Maggie Balint with Bressler out-shining Balint with her second consecutive complete-game shutout for her eighth win of the season. Bressler was brilliant against the SDSU offense as the Aztecs managed just five hits and had only one runner in scoring position all game.
Unfortunately Bressler was tagged with the loss in the night cap after pitching 3.2 frames in relief in the extra-inning affair that ended on the Aztecs scoring an unearned walk-off run. Despite the loss, Bressler has now gone 19.0 innings without giving up an earned run and has allowed just one earned run in her last 26.0 frames.
UNLV looked as if it might rally for a second come-from-behind game-two win in the span of a week when junior Denise Armendariz came up with a two-run double in the top of the seventh to tie the game at six and send it to extras, but a pair of uncharacteristic fielding errors in the bottom of the 10th kept the Rebels from completing the comeback. The double was Armendariz's 10th of the season, now with half of her 20 hits on the season going for extra-bases.
Game 1 Recap: Since a bit of a rough weekend in LA three weeks ago, Bressler has returned to form and been on fire over the last two weekends. The Aztec hitters were stumped by the Canton, Michigan, native all game as they scattered just five singles over seven innings with only one runner making it past first base. Bressler struck out four in the game for a second straight shutout and her third straight complete-game performance. The Rebels couldn't get much off of SDSU starter Balint either until the fourth inning when senior Justine Federe led off with a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and went on to third on a Mia Trejo single. With one out and runners on the corners, freshman Janyssa Martin sent a grounder to the second baseman, who tagged Trejo for one out but threw it wide of first base, allowing Federe to score what would prove be the winning run of the game.
Game 2 Recap: The Rebels jumped out to the early lead after the first four batters - Maddie Schmidt, Lauren Tycksen, Justine Federe and Denise Armendariz - all singled to put two runs on the board. The Aztecs managed to tie up at two in the second after starter Charlie Masterson allowed a double and a pair of singles, but the Rebels grabbed the lead right back in the next frame. The Rebels put two on after singles from Armendariz and Janyssa Martin and with one out and runners on second and third, head coach Kristie Fox sent Jasmine Martin up to pinch hit, a role she's come up big in multiple times this year. The freshman delivered again with a single to right field that scored both runners for the 4-2 UNLV lead. SDSU got one back in the third on a solo home run off of Rebel reliever Jenna Perez and then took the lead with three runs in the fourth. Down to their last chance trailing 6-4 in the top of the seventh, the Rebels went to work with Schmidt drawing a leadoff walk and getting into scoring position by swiping second. Federe knocked a single to put runners on first and third and her pinch-runner freshman Zoe Nolte stole second to put the tying run at second. That brought up Armendariz, who connected on a double to left center that scored both and tied the game at six. UNLV brought in game one start Bressler in the bottom of the seventh for a 1-2-3 frame to extend the game to extras and the two squads traded scoreless innings until the 10th. With one out, SDSU put a runner on first after a rare error by third baseman Lauryn Barker. With two outs, the Aztec batter sent a towering fly ball to deep center that bounced just out of the glove of senior Lauryn Tycksen, allowing the SDSU runner to score from first on the error and give the Aztecs the win.
UP NEXT: The series will be up for grabs in Sunday's finale. First pitch set for noon.
