UNLV roundup: Softball team wins shutout in tourney opener

Jenny Bressler pitched a five-inning no-hitter and was backed by three two-out, two-run hits in the third as UNLV blanked Montana 8-0 in the first game of the Marucci Desert Classic softball tournament Thursday at Eller Media Stadium.

Bressler (2-2), a sophomore, struck out eight and walked three as the Rebels (3-3) posted their second straight win. The no-hitter was the first for a UNLV pitcher since 2013 and the 16th in the program’s 36 seasons.

Caitlyn Covington started the Rebels’ third-inning eruption with a two-run double, and Samantha Diaz followed with a two-run homer. After Statia Cermak walked, Lauryn Barker launched a two-run homer.

UNLV added two runs in the fourth, when Lauren Tycksen beat out a bunt and scored on Maddie Schmidt’s triple. Schmidt came home on a sacrifice fly by Mia Trejo.

Schmidt, Covington, Diaz and Barker each had two of the Rebels’ nine hits.

Tristin Achenbach (3-2) started in the pitching circle for the Grizzlies (4-2) and allowed six runs on six hits and three walks and struck out six over 2⅔ innings.

MEN’S TENNIS

At Fertitta Tennis Complex, Jordan Sauer and Eric Samuelsson each won in singles and was part of a doubles victory to lead the Rebels (7-0) to a 4-1 triumph over Brigham Young (3-6).

Samuelsson beat Mateo Vereau Melende 6-3, 6-3 at No. 2 singles and teamed with Clayton Alenik for a 7-5 victory over Vereau Melende and Matheus F. Leite at No. 2 doubles.

Sauer beat Sam Tullis 6-4, 6-2 at No. 3 singles and teamed with Alex Kobelt for a 7-5 triumph over Tullis and Ben Gajardo at No. 1 doubles.

The Rebels clinched the outcome with Anton Ornberg’s 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 win over Jack Barnett at No. 5 singles.

For the Cougars, Leite beat Alenik 6-4, 6-3 at No. 6 singles, and David Ball and Sean Hill teamed for a 6-1 win over Ornberg and Jackson Atherton at No. 3 doubles.

WOMEN’S TENNIS

At Fertitta Tennis Complex, Izumi Asano and En-Pei Huang won at Nos. 1 and 2 singles and teamed for a victory at No. 1 doubles to lead the Rebels (1-5) to a 6-1 triumph over New Mexico State (1-3).

Asano downed Harsha Challa 7-5, 6-3, Huang outlasted Neus Torregrosa 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, and Asano and Huang combined for a 6-2 win over Challa and Gavi Kalaga. Asano and Huang, ranked No. 13 nationally as a doubles team, improved to 12-3 this season.

Also for UNLV, Connie Li beat Chloe Gavino 6-3, 6-2 at No. 3 singles, Olivia Elliott topped Kalaga 7-5, 6-3 at No. 4 singles, Sam Smith edged Bella Nguyen 7-6, 2-6, 6-4 at No. 5 singles, and Samantha Li downed Kaela Di Giulio 6-1, 7-5 at No. 6 singles.

The Aggies won two doubles matches, with Gavino and Nguyen topping Smith and Connie Li 6-4, and Torregrosa and Lucija Josipovic edging Elliott and Samantha Li 7-6 (3).

TRACK AND FIELD

At Albuquerque, N.M., Cassidy Osborne-Butler placed eighth in the weight throw and Jartierra Grissom ninth in the high jump to pace the Rebels on the first day of the two-day Don Kirby Elite Invitational.

Osborne-Butler, one of three UNLV athletes taking part in the weight throw, had a 61-foot, 2¾-inch heave. Acacia Astwood was 15th (55-11¼) and Mackenna Howard 18th (55-4¼).

Grissom cleared 5-5¼ in the high jump. In the long jump, Tenia Landrum was 18th (18-7) and Jazlynn Shearer 24th (18-5).

The Rebels had four entrants in the 200-meter run: Emerald Bowen was 22nd (24.672 seconds), Tianna Randle 23rd (24.673), Jada Hicks 25th (24.71) and Alexis Surrell 27th (24.77).