LAS VEGAS -- The San Diego State softball team scored six runs in the top of the sixth inning but couldn't get the tying run across the plate in an 8-7 loss to UNLV Saturday afternoon at Eller Media Stadium in Las Vegas. The Aztecs (26-11, 10-1 MW) lost for the first time in Mountain West play and had their 12-game winning streak snapped.
Trailing, 8-1, SDSU scored six runs in the sixth without the Rebels (28-8, 6-2 MW) recording an out. Mac Barbara extended her reached base streak to 31 games with a single to score Macey Keester. Jillian Celis followed with a single to plate Bella Espinoza before an Alexa Schulz single knocked in pinch runner Elianna Reyes. After a Danielle Romanello single loaded the bases, Taylor Adams stroked a single to center field to score Celis. UNLV ace pitcher Jenny Bressler came into the game but her first pitch was dropped by catcher Alyssa Trejo. Schultz scored on the passed ball and pinch runner Audrey Kull scored as well on a fielding error by Bressler on the play, bringing San Diego State within a run at 8-7. On the same play, however, Adams was thrown out sliding into third for the first out of the inning. After a Makena Brocki flyout, AJ Murphy and Keester each singled, but Bressler got Espinoza to ground out to shortstop Samantha Diaz to finally end the inning. Overall in the sixth, the Aztecs scored six times on eight hits, a hit by pitch, a passed ball and one error.
SDSU, however, went in order in the seventh as Bressler struck out two to pick up her fifth save of the season.
The Rebels led, 5-0, before San Diego State even had a baserunner, scoring four times in the bottom of the first and once in the second.
The Aztecs broke up Alanna Thiede's perfect game with a two-out single in the fifth by Jessica Cordola. Brocki reached on a throwing error by UNLV second baseman April Visser, which allowed Cordola to score from first.
The Rebels answered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth, highlighted by a two-run home run by Ariana Martinez, setting up SDSU's big sixth inning.
Nine different players had a hit for San Diego State, which outhit the UNLV, 9-8.
Allie Light took the loss for the Aztecs after allowing four runs on five hits and a walk in 1/3 inning as the starter. Dani Martinez relieved Light in the first and gave up one run on 3 2/3 hitless innings, striking out four with one walk. Dee Dee Hernandez pitched the final two innings of the game, yielding three runs on three hits, striking out two.
THE NOTE
SDSU had won 16 straight games (11-0 this season) when scoring at least seven runs prior to today.
THE NOTE II
A day after leaving a combined 17 runners in a 2-0 San Diego State win, only six runners (three apiece) were left on base today in an 8-7 game.
STAT OF THE DAY
The Aztecs saw their 12-game winning streak snapped, which was the fifth longest in program history and one off a school record (has been done four times). SDSU had gone 28 consecutive days without a loss prior to today (last loss was March 11).
UP NEXT
The rubber game of the series between San Diego State and UNLV is set for noon PT Sunday.
UNLV 8, San Diego State 7
San Diego State (26-11, 10-1 MW) 000 016 0 -- 7 9 0
UNLV (28-8, 6-2 MW) 410 030 x -- 8 8 2
Light, Martinez (2), Hernandez (5) and Barbara; Thiede, Martin (6), Bressler (6) and Vollmer, A. Trejo (1), Vollmer (7)
W - Thiede, 7-2; L - Light, 3-2; SV - Bressler, 1
HR: UNLV, Martinez
Softball’s Rally Comes Up Short in 8-7 Loss at UNLV
