FRESNO, Calif. (UNLVRebels.com) — Clutch hitting and defensive plays helped the Rebels escape Fresno State with a victory in their regular-season finale. 

UNLV (39-13 overall, 17-7 Mountain West) took a 5-3 win over Fresno State (19-36, 10-14) Saturday afternoon at the Margie Wright Diamond. UNLV earned its highest win total since 2005 and best winning percentage (not counting the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season) since 1995.

The Rebels grabbed a 4-0 lead in the second inning, knocking Fresno State starter Casey Dixon out of the game early. 

Mia Trejo led off the frame with a single and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and groundout. Lauryn Barker swung for the gap in right center, scoring Trejo for the game's initial score. Julia Vollmer was hit by a pitch in the next at- bat, then Sofia Morales drove a pitch over the head of a shallow-playing left fielder for a two-RBI triple. Maddie Schmidt finished the scoring run when she slapped a single up the middle to bring home Morales.

Jenny Bressler (W, 26-6) struck out five over six innings and Alanna Thiede closed the game to earn her second save of the season.

"I thought our defense played well today and Jenny pitched a good game," UNLV head softball coach Kristie Fox. "She threw a lot of innings this weekend. It was good to see Alanna come in and close the door. 

"We're going to need to see more combinations like that as we move forward."

Bressler finished conference play with a league-best 15 wins and 1.07 ERA. Her 133 strikeouts in conference play is second all-time in Mountain West history. 

Each team added a run in the fifth inning before Fresno State put a scare in the Rebels in the bottom of the sixth. Alesia Denby grounded out to second, plating Emery Nielson, who had walked and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Another walk set runners on the corners and a double steal caught out the Rebels for another run.

Fresno State put their leadoff runner aboard in the bottom of the seventh, but second baseman April Visser fielded a 4-6-3 double play to end the Bulldogs' momentum. 

The Rebels finished third in the Mountain West standings, claiming all but one conference series to league champion San Diego State that ended in an extra-innings defeat. 

"Since I've been here, 39 wins in the regular season is the highest that we've had. To take every series, except from the champion show we're headed in the right direction. 

"We've had some injuries and some different things come up. For this team to overcome all that adversity and still play as well as they did, it speaks highly of them."

The Rebels will learn their postseason destination when NCAA and NISC tournament selections are announced Sunday evening.

UNLV's 15 consecutive wins at neutral sites is the longest such active winning streak among NCAA Division I teams.