LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) — Fresno State shut the door on a UNLV series sweep with an 8-5 rally to win Saturday at Eller Media Stadium.
Keahilele Mattson's three-RBI home run in the top of the sixth sealed the victory for the Bulldogs (16-21 overall, 5-4 Mountain West) who strung together nine combined hits in the fifth and sixth innings.
UNLV (19-18, 5-7) jumped out to an early lead for the third straight day.
Ariana Martinez smoked a 2-1 fastball over the wall in left-center to give the Rebels a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
Fresno State batted through the order in the top of the fifth to take a 5-3 lead. Vanessa Hernandez opened the floodgates with a leadoff home run before a series of Bulldog base hits moved four more runs around.
UNLV quickly knotted the score. Martinez homered a second time, sending her first offering in the bottom of the fifth beyond right-center for a fifth RBI in the game.
Martinez batted 7-for-9 (.778) with three home runs, three doubles and 12 RBIs in the three-game series.
Jasmine Martin shut down the Bulldogs in relief, pitching the final six outs without allowing a hit, but it was too little too late. UNLV's final offensive effort ended abruptly with a double play and groundout.
UNLV next visits second-place San Diego State for a mid-week conference doubleheader on Wednesday, April 12. The Rebels then host Cal for a three-game set next weekend in Las Vegas.
Â