BOISE, Idaho (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV softball team earned a split against Boise State in the Mountain West midweek doubleheader on Wednesday at Dona Larsen Park.
 
The Rebels (22-11,7-3 MW) dropped game one 8-0 in five innings to the Broncos (24-15,4-4 MW), but bounced back in the second game, which included a 51-minute weather delay, with a 4-3 win in nine innings. UNLV out hit Boise State 15-12 through both games on the day. Ellie Zellien had a career day in the circle for the Scarlet & Gray pitching a career-high 9.0 innings to earn her fifth win of the season.
 
GAME 1: UNLV 0, Boise State 8 (5 innings)
 
The Broncos jumped out front in the bottom of the first inning, scoring seven runs on five hits to take a 7-0 lead. The Rebels had a runner on in the top of the second inning with two outs, but were unable to capitalize. Boise State tacked on one run in the bottom of the second inning to make it 8-0. The next two innings were scoreless by both squads and in the top of the fifth inning, the Rebels were down to their final three outs. With one out, Sofia Morales roped her second single of the game to give UNLV a base runner. The Scarlet & Gray then had two runners on after a walk was drawn, but Boise State shut down the Rebels' chances and held onto the victory.
 
GAME 2: UNLV 4, Boise State 3 (9 innings)
 
UNLV fell behind in the bottom of the first inning as Boise State scored two runs on two hits, 2-0. The second inning was scoreless on both sides, before the Rebels bats started to really get going in the top of the third. Marisa Bowman led off the top half of the third with a single right back up the middle. Jesse Farrell then roped an RBI double to get within one, 2-1. UNLV then had runners on the corners after a Maddie Schmidt infield single. Ariana Martinez then came up to bat and on a full count, sent an RBI single through the right side to tie the game 2-all. Alyssa Trejo then sent the first pitch she saw to center to bring in another run and give the Rebels their first lead of the day, 3-2. The Broncos tied it up in the bottom of the fourth inning, taking advantage of an error. As UNLV started to get things going again in the top of the fifth inning with a runner on second with one out, the game was paused due to weather. Following the nearly an hour weather delay, the Rebels and Broncos were eager to battle it out. The fifth to the seventh inning were scoreless although both squads looked to threaten. Skyler Shaw led off the top of the ninth with a single up the middle to start the Rebels' rally. With one out, Farrell sent a smacked a single to center to put runners on first and second. The Rebels took advantage of a Broncos' error to load the bases for Martinez. On a 1-0 count, Martinez sent a rocket of a line drive down the right field line to bring in the go-ahead run, 4-3. The momentum stayed with UNLV as they retired Boise State in order to close out the extra inning victory.
 
OTHER NOTES:

• Sofia Morales went 2-for-2 in game one of the doubleheader, which her two hits were the only UNLV hits in game one. Morales closed out the day going 3-for-6. She is now on a nine game reached base and hitting streak.
• Ariana Martinez was 3-for-4 on the day including two RBI.
• Janyssa Martin, Jesse Farrell and Maddie Schmidt each had two hits on the day.
• Zellien pitched her seventh complete game of the season in game two against the Broncos.

 
UP NEXT: UNLV will come back home for a three-game non-conference series against North Dakota State beginning on Saturday, April 6 and concluding on Sunday, April 7.