March 14, 2008

Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score

LAS VEGAS - UNLV took advantage of its scoring opportunities while Utah Valley wasn't able to as the Wolverines dropped a pair of games to the Rebels, 11-1 and 4-1 on the first day of the UNLV Rebel Round Robin Tournament.

After Utah Valley (4-14) fell decidedly in the first game, the Wolverines were not able to take advantage of several scoring opportunities in game two against the recently ranked Rebels (17-12-1).

Utah Valley jumped out of game one with a strong inning that included a pair of hits and the Wolverines run. After Meghan Woodworth was hit with a 0-2 pitch, Cherylyn McGraw singled and was followed two batters later by a RBI single up the middle off the bat of Jessica Anderson.

UNLV erased UV's small league and put the game out of reach in the Rebels' side of the first. Laura Briones delivered the big bomb in the inning, a three-run home run. UNLV scored six runs on six hits in the big first frame.

The Rebels scored runs in each of the hitting innings, adding two in the second, one in the third and two in the fourth. UNLV also held the Wolverines off the base pads, surrendering just two more hits through the rest of the game.

Game two had a much more competitive, defensive-themed start with neither team scoring in the first half of the game. Heidi Stocks threw well in the early going, surrendering just two hits in the first four UNLV at-bats.

The Wolverines had a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the second as they loaded the bases with nobody out. Stocks and Anderson had back-to-back hits to lead off the inning and Abby Bowcutt reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt. UNLV got back-to-back strike outs followed by a ground out to get out of the jam.

UV had another good scoring opportunity in the bottom of the fourth when Anderson got to second with just one out in the inning. Once again, Rebel pitching came up with a pair of strike outs to strand a Wolverine runner.

UNLV broke the scoreless game open with a fifth-inning grand slam off the bat of Brittany Bolinger. The Rebels came up with four hits in the four-run inning.

Stocks got one of the runs back for the Wolverines with a deep home run to center field that left the park. UV had another runner reach second base but was stranded there.

UV will finish its weekend with a pair of games tomorrow. The Wolverines will play Nebraska at 1 p.m. (PT) and finish against UNLV at 3 p.m.