FORT COLLINS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV softball team swept Saturday's doubleheader at Colorado State to secure a fifth Mountain West series win in 2021 (a sixth series was forfeited by San Jose State), running away with game one 9-1 in five innings then squeezing out a 1-0 victory in game two in Fort Collins. The fifth inning in both games proved to be the difference as the Rebels exploded for seven runs in the frame in the first game and came up with the game-winning run in the fifth inning in the second.
With the wins, UNLV improved to 23-10 overall and 15-2 in Mountain West play to sit just behind first-place Fresno State, who won both its games Saturday against UNR. Since losing four straight to finish the non-conference slate, the Rebels have won 12 of their last 14.
The elevation on the road has been to kind to the Rebels, who hit three home runs - including a grand slam - in game one Saturday, two weeks after they collected 10 home runs in a sweep at Utah State. After an 11-game midseason stretch without the long ball, UNLV now has 15 over its last nine games and 30 total in 33 games this year. UNLV needs just six more to set a single-season high in four seasons under Kristie Fox.
Reigning Mountain West Player of the Week Denise Armendariz and shortstop Samantha Diaz combined for a pair of solo home runs in the second inning of the opening game to give UNLV a 2-1 lead they never relinquished, while senior Justine Federe broke the game wide open in the fifth with her second grand slam of the season. UNLV, who hadn't hit a grand slam under Fox until this season, now has five on the year, which is the most since the 2009 squad hit six.
The offense was a little more quiet in the second game of the day, but came up with the clutch hit when it needed to as sophomore Alyssa Trejo delivered with an RBI single to score Lauren Tycksen from third.
The impressive dominance of the pitching duo of junior Jenny Bressler and senior Charlie Masterson during Mountain West play continued Saturday in Fort Collins. Bressler notched her ninth win in nine Mountain West starts in game one, facing just one batter over the minimum in five innings - allowing a first-inning solo home run as the Rams' lone hit of the game. Masterson followed with a five-inning shutout in game two for the win with Bressler pitching the final two frames for her third save.
During league play, the two have combined for an 11-2 record, nine complete games, six shutouts, 14 earned runs allowed and 73 strikeouts in 92.2 innings pitched. Over that stretch, Bressler has a sub-1.00 ERA at 0.97, while Masterson is just over the 1.00 mark at 1.27. The pair have been particularly stingy over the last three weeks, giving up just six runs over the eight-game stretch.
Game 1 Recap: With two outs in the first inning, Bressler left one over the plate for a CSU solo shot and the 1-0 lead, but that would be the only mistake she would make in the game. The junior went on to retire the next 13 straight batters and let her offense get to work. The Rebels responded quickly in the top of the second with Armendariz hitting her second home run of the season to tie it at one and Diaz knocking her team-leading ninth dinger for a 2-1 lead. Still clinging to a 2-1 lead in the fifth, UNLV loaded the bases on a Diaz walk, an Alyssa Trejo double and a pinch-hit walk from freshman Alexsi Barashkoff. That brought up Federe, who blasted her second grand slam and sixth home run overall to put the Rebels ahead 6-1. With the bases juiced again, Fox sent freshman Alyssa Lopez to the plate to pinch-hit and the decision paid off with a bases-clearing double by Lopez and the 9-1 final tally.
Game 2 Recap: The second game was a true pitcher's duel as neither team managed a single hit until the bottom of the fourth inning when CSU came up with a double off of Masterson. After the senior worked out of it, fellow senior Lauren Tycksen led off the top of the fifth with a double down the left field line and the Rebels were in business. After Diaz advanced Tycksen to third on a groundout, Alyssa Trejo stepped to the plate and calmly sent a single through the left side of the infield to easily score the speedy Tycksen from third. In the bottom half of the frame, the Rams led off with a double of their own, but Masterson was able to keep CSU off the board, even after the runner reached third with one out. Bressler entered in the sixth and gave up a leadoff single and a walk, but that would be all as she retired the final four batters for the save.
UP NEXT: UNLV will go for its third Mountain West sweep of the season Sunday. First pitch for the series finale against the Rams is set for 11 a.m. PT.
