LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV softball team opened the Rebel Classic with an 11-6 victory over Valpo on Thursday evening at Eller Media Stadium.
 
UNLV (4-7) had three different Rebels have two hits at the plate. Taryn Calderon, Rachel Cook and Lyla Gonzalez were all 2-for-3 on the night. Calderon roped her third homer of the season, had two RBI, a walk and crossed the plate twice for the Rebels. Cook had a double, home run, two runs scored and a career-high four RBI on the night. Gonzalez brought in her first two career RBI and crossed the plate once for the Scarlet & Gray. Amelia Weber earned the win against the Beacons (4-5) for her first victory of the season.
 
HOW IT WENT DOWN: The Beacons took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on three hits. Taryn Calderon led off the bottom half of the first with a walk. Calderon then got to second on a Valpo wild pitch. The Rebels took advantage of a Beacons' error to get runners on the corners. Keyannah Chavez hit a deep sacrifice fly to left field that scored Calderon, 2-1. With a runner on second, Charelle Aki hit a double to left center bringing in the tying run, 2-all. Bri Williams then drew a five-pitch walk. With two outs, Rachel Cook went yard to give UNLV a 5-2 lead after the first inning. In the bottom of the second, Lyla Gonzalez got things going with a single to right field, Calderon roped a line drive over the center field wall to give UNLV a 7-2 lead. Williams hit  an RBI single with two outs to tack on another run to the lead, 8-2. Both teams were held off the board in the fourth inning, but Valpo tallied three runs on five hits to cut the deficit to three, 8-5. In the bottom of the fifth, the Rebels tallied three more runs to their lead on four hits, which included an RBI double by Cook and a two-run single by Gonzalez, 11-5. Valpo hit an RBI double in the top of the sixth to cut the deficit back down to five, 11-6. In the top of the final inning, the Beacons tried to get a two-out rally going with a runner on, but a hit to the hot corner recorded the final out.
 
OTHER NOTES:

• Emma Wardlaw also saw the circle for the Rebels and had two strikeouts.
• Charelle Aki, Presley Barnes, Natalie Turner and Bri Williams all had a hit against the Beacons.
• Nine different Rebels crossed the plate.
• Calderon is currently on a four-game hitting streak.
• Chavez has reached base in nearly every game this season with her seven-game on-base streak.
• Aki, Cook and Williams are all on a five-game reached base streak.

 
UP NEXT: UNLV continues the Rebel Classic on Friday, Feb. 20 against Utah Valley at 3 p.m.