BOISE, Idaho (UNLVRebels.com) —
Ariana Martinez's grand slam fed a six-run fifth inning the Rebels used to capture Sunday's matchup with No. 25 Boise State and sweep the Broncos on their home field.
UNLV (27-6 overall, 5-1 Mountain West) held off a late challenge from Boise State (27-8, 6-3) for an 8-5 victory at Dona Larsen Park.
The Rebels swept Boise State on the road for the first time in history and are the first Mountain West team to win three straight in Boise since 2016.
"Sweeping anyone on the road is huge, but sweeping a team that is ranked in the top 25, I don't think UNLV has ever done that," UNLV head coach
Kristie Fox said.
In fact, it was UNLV's first-ever three-game series sweep of a ranked team and its first such on the road since winning a doubleheader at No. 9 Cal State Fullerton in 1996.
UNLV and Boise State combined for 20 hits and 37 base runners despite being deadlocked 1-1 after four innings.
Jenny Bressler (W, 15-4) picked up her Mountain West-leading 15th win after preserving the tie in the fourth. Bressler inherited a two-out, two-on situation and exacted a force-out at third to escape the inning.
"Our pitching staff–all three of them did a good job this weekend. They pitched tired, when they didn't have their best stuff and were able to do the jobs we needed."
Jasmine Martin earned her second save of the season after finishing the last 2 ⅓ innings.
Mia Trejo drew a bases-loaded walk in the third for the game's initial run. Boise State's Kelsey Lalor evened the score with a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the fourth.
The Rebels hit five straight singles to open the fifth before
Denise Armendariz reached on a fielder's choice as Boise State put out the runner at home. That's when Martinez blasted a 1-2 pitch over deep center to clear the bases and give UNLV a 6-1 advantage.
Trejo hit a solo homer in the sixth, her eighth of the year and 29th in her career.
"A lot of people got in the game and took advantage of their opportunities. I really enjoyed the energy from the bench. I think they were a huge component in keeping us focused and getting the win."
UNLV quickly turns around for a Tuesday night non-conference game at Dixie State in St. George, Utah.
