May 7, 2011
LAS VEGAS, Nev. -
Tayler Van Acker hit a walkoff two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give UNLV an 11-10 victory over the San Diego State softball team Saturday in Las Vegas, Nev. The Aztecs dropped to 29-18 overall and 5-4 in the Mountain West Conference, while the Rebels improved to 23-18 and 5-5 with their first win in the series in 12 tries (since May 6, 2007).
The game, which was played in 24 mph winds blowing out to left field, featured a combined 21 runs, 24 hits, five home runs, 21 runners left on base, nine walks and six errors over 3 hours, 6 minutes of action.
In a back-and-forth contest, SDSU appeared to put the game away in the top of eighth when freshman Lorena Klopp (San Diego/Steele Canyon HS) hit a two-run homer over the center field fence for a 10-8 lead. Klopp's school-record 15th home run of the season came minutes after junior Bailey Micetich (Woodland, Calif.) got out of a bases loaded jam by forcing Elena Fata to line out sharply to third baseman Ashley Rose (Antioch, Calif.).
UNLV, however, answered in the bottom half when Ashli Holland led off with a solo home run, her second of the game, Tayler Aleman followed with a double and Van Acker ended it with a home run over the left field wall.
Each team finished with 12 hits in the game with San Diego State leaving 12 runners on base and the Rebels nine. Both teams committed three errors apiece.
Freshman Hayley Miles (Antelope, Calif.) led the Aztecs with three hits, including a two-run homer, three RBIs, three runs and a walk. Sophomore Kristin May (Corona, Calif.) was 2-for-2 with an RBI and a walk, while Klopp added two hits.
Redshirt senior Lindsey Marquez (Tustin, Calif.) drove in two runs with two sacrifice bunts and a single, Rose was hit by a pitch twice, singled and had a sacrifice fly, and senior Jessica Camello (Temecula, Calif.) scored twice on a single and a walk. Also, senior Jen Wisneski (Riverside, Calif.) extended her consecutive games reaching base safely to 19 with a walk.
Micetich (16-11) was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs on four hits and two walks over 1 2/3 innings of relief. Senior All-American Samantha Beasley (San Diego/Steele Canyon HS) started the game and gave up five runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks over 4 1/3 innings. She struck out six. Sophomore Kamerin May (Corona, Calif.), who had SDSU's other hit, yielding two unearned runs on two hits and a walk over an inning of relief.
Holland went 5-for-5 with three runs and four RBIs to lead the UNLV offense. Kylie Wagner got the win with a strikeout over a perfect inning of relief.
The same two teams play tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. PT in a game that will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network.
UNLV 11, San Diego State 10 (8 innings)
San Diego State (29-18, 5-4 MWC) 112 012 12 -- 10 12 3
UNLV (23-18, 5-5 MWC) 101 032 13 -- 11 12 3
Beasley, Ka. May (5), Micetich (6) and Kr. May, Sahatdjian (5); Oliveto, O'Connor (6), Wagner (8) and Bernardi
W - Wagner, 2-2. L - Micetich, 16-11
HR: San Diego State, Miles (2), Klopp (15); UNLV, Holland 2 (6, 7), Van Acker (3)