Early Runs Lead UNLV Past NU

Las Vegas ? Sophomore right-hander Alex Hupp saw her career-best, six-game win streak snapped, as UNLV got to Hupp early in a 5-1 victory over the Nebraska softball team in the final game of the Rebel Round Robin in Las Vegas.

 

UNLV’s victory came in sharp contrast to NU’s win earlier in the day. After Nebraska held UNLV without an earned run in game one and exploded for 10 runs in a run-rule victory, the Rebels turned the tables in game two, scoring five runs on 14 hits while winning by four.

 

Hupp was responsible for each of the five runs, as she fell to 6-4 on the season after winning her last six decisions. Hupp, who had thrown three consecutive shutouts entering Sunday’s start, allowed five runs on a career-high 14 hits, including four runs on eight hits through the first three innings.

 

Stephanie Bregante - the only pitcher to defeat top-ranked ArizonaState this season - earned the win for UNLV (19-13-1). Bregante (10-7) worked around eight hits and one walk to allow just one run while striking out five in a complete-game effort.

 

UNLV scored its first run in the top of the second, using three hits ? including an RBI double from Sandy Nakamura ? to take a 1-0 lead.

 

In the top of the third, three consecutive one-out hits and a sacrifice fly led to a pair of Rebel runs. A two-out, RBI single from Nakamura capped the three-run inning and extended UNLV’s lead to 4-0. The Huskers nearly escaped the inning with only one run crossing the plate, as NU felt it had caught an attempted base stealer, but the umpire ruled the runner safe.

 

Nebraska, meanwhile, recorded a hit in each of the first four innings, but the Huskers were never able to produce for a big inning. The most frustrating example came in the bottom of the sixth, when NU brought the tying run to the plate with only one out.

 

Junior Darcy Rutherford led off the inning with a single before fellow junior Meghan Mullin followed with a double - her first extra-base hit of the season - to put runners at second and third with no outs. After a ground out, junior Crystal Carwile was hit by a pitch to load the bases for freshman Ashley Guile. Guile got ahead in the count 3-0 before fouling a 3-1 pitch into a double play to third, as Rutherford was thrown out at home attempting to tag up.

 

After Nebraska's near rally, UNLV added an insurance run in the top of the seventh when Stephanie Bean's pop up landed just out of the reach of freshman Julie Brechtel behind the first base bag for an RBI single.

 

The Huskers avoided the shutout in the bottom of the seventh when Rutherford singled home junior Haley Long before Mullin grounded out to end the game.

 

NU finished with eight hits in the game, but only managed the one run. Rutherford led the way with a 3-for-4 day and the lone RBI. Guile (2-for-3) also recorded a multi-hit game, as did Mullin (2-for-4).

 

After finishing play in the Rebel Round Robin, Nebraska (11-10) will stay in Las Vegas for a Monday doubleheader with Southern Utah, beginning at 7 p.m. (Central).

Nebraska Softball UNLV at Nebraska Mar 16, 2008 at Las Vegas, Nev. (Eller Media Stadium)

UNLV 5 (19-13-1)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ BOLINGER, Brittany cf.... 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 DE LA TORRE, Alyssia dp.. 4 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 HULL, Jaci ss............ 4 2 2 0 0 1 0 2 0 BRIONES, Laura c......... 3 1 1 1 0 0 7 0 1 BEAN, Stephanie lf....... 3 2 3 1 1 0 3 0 0 MEADE, Brittany 3b....... 2 0 2 1 0 0 3 4 0 SANCHEZ, Stefani pr..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 NAKAMURA, Sandy 1b....... 4 0 3 2 0 0 6 0 2 FARLEY, Cheynah rf....... 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 PAUS, Caitlyn ph........ 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 HOLLAND, Ashli 2b........ 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 3 BREGANTE, Stephanie p.... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals................... 31 5 14 5 1 7 21 8 10

Nebraska 1 (11-10)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 4 0 3 1 0 0 2 0 0 Mullin, Meghan cf........ 4 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 3 Duran, Amanda c.......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 7 0 0 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 2 0 0 0 0 1 4 1 1 Guile, Ashley dp......... 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 Long, Haley rf........... 2 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 Hupp, Alex p............. 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 Foland, Heidi ss......... 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 Barrett, Whitney 2b...... 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b...... 2 0 0 0 0 1 3 1 0 Hughes, Abby 3b.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 27 1 8 1 1 5 21 7 7

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- UNLV................ 013 000 1 - 5 14 1 Nebraska............ 000 000 1 - 1 8 0 -----------------------------------------

E - BREGANTE. DP - Rebels 2. LOB - Rebels 10; Huskers 7. 2B - HULL; NAKAMURA; Mullin(1). 3B - HULL. HBP - Carwile. SH - BRIONES; MEADE; HOLLAND. SF - MEADE. SB - BRIONES; BEAN; Long(4).

UNLV IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- BREGANTE, Stephanie. 7.0 8 1 1 1 5 27 29 114

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hupp, Alex.......... 7.0 14 5 5 1 7 31 36 137

Win - BREGANTE (10-7). Loss - Hupp (6-4). Save - None. HBP - by BREGANTE (Carwile). PB - BRIONES. Pitches/strikes: BREGANTE 114/76; Hupp 137/92. Umpires - Start: 3:35 pm Time: 2:31 Attendance: Game: livegame