UNLV roundup: Strong pitching fuels two softball victories

Charlie Masterson and Jenny Bressler each pitched a complete game and combined for 12 strikeouts to lead UNLV past Texas-El Paso 3-1 and New Mexico State 3-0 in the Boyd Gaming Classic softball tournament Friday at Eller Media Stadium.

The Rebels (14-4), who have won seven straight games, went ahead against the Miners (4-12) on freshman Alyssa Trejo’s pinch two-run double in the sixth. Bressler (6-3) held the Aggies (9-5) to three singles.

Against UTEP, Masterson (5-1) allowed one run on six hits and one walk and struck out four. Idalis Mendez’s third-inning sacrifice fly accounted for the Miners’ run.

Mia Trejo was the lone player for either team with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with a first-inning RBI single.

Against New Mexico State, UNLV went up 2-0 in the third inning on Justine Federe’s RBI double and a run-scoring infield single by Maddie Schmidt.

In the sixth, Alyssa Trejo hit a leadoff triple and was replaced by pinch runner Statia Cermak. Lauren Tycksen promptly hit an RBI triple and was thrown out trying for a home run.

Tycksen, who also had a double, was the lone player for either team with multiple hits.

Bressler issued four walks and struck out eight.

BASEBALL

At Wilson Stadium, Alex Amelburu and Eric Bigani each had multiple hits and drove in two runs apiece to back Ryan Hare, who allowed one run and struck out seven over five innings, as the Rebels halted a four-game skid with a 6-4 victory over Creighton.

Amelburu went 3-for-4 with a double. He had a two-run single in UNLV’s four-run sixth that put the Rebels (2-7) up 6-1.

Bigani and James Gamble each had a double and a single for UNLV, which held a 9-6 edge in hits. Edarian Williams had a double and scored twice for the Rebels.

Hare (1-1) worked around four hits and four walks. The Bluejays (3-4) committed three errors that led to four unearned runs.

Creighton starter Dylan Tebrake (2-1), who hadn’t given up a run this season, allowed six — two earned — on eight hits and no walks over 5⅔ innings. He struck out six.

Will Hanafan and Parker Upton each went 2-for-5 with an RBI for the Bluejays, who have lost three straight.

TRACK AND FIELD

At Albuquerque, N.M., Jonon Young and Jazlynn Shearer placed first and second in the long jump, and Acacia Astwood and Cassidy Osborne-Butler placed second and third in the weight throw to lead the Rebels to a first-place tie with Colorado State after the second day of the three-day, 11-team Mountain West Indoor Championships.

UNLV and the Rams each had 46 points, followed by Boise State (24), San Diego State (22), San Jose State (18), Air Force (11), New Mexico (10), Wyoming (eight), UNR (five), Utah State (four) and Fresno State (one).

Young jumped 19 feet, 10¾ inches, and Shearer had a 19-6 effort. Tenia Landrum placed fifth (19-1¼).

In the weight throw, Astwood had a 62-5 mark, and Osborne-Butler was at 62-4½. Also for the Rebels, Aaliya Soa was fifth (60-3) and Mackenna Howard sixth (59-11).

SWIMMING AND DIVING

At Houston, sophomore Jack Binder placed second in the 100-yard breaststroke and was part of the second-place 400 medley relay team, helping the Rebels climb to second place after the third day of the four-day, seven-team Western Athletic Conference championships.

Air Force led the team standings with 577 points, followed by UNLV (438), Grand Canyon (395.5), Wyoming (374), California Baptist (270.5), Cal State Bakersfield (245.5) and Seattle (105.5).

Binder finished the 100 breaststroke in 54.27 seconds and teamed with freshman Panos Bolanos, sophomore Michal Cukanow and junior Richard Szilagyi to finish the 400 medley relay in 3:10.70.

Junior Jesse Cawley was second in 1-meter diving (291.95), and freshman Ogi Maric was second in the 200 freestyle (1:34.28).

Bolanos was third in the 100 backstroke (46.99 seconds), and Szilagyi teamed with juniors Bryan Chavez and Sean Gage and senior Hayden Hemmens to place third in the 200 freestyle relay (1:19.73).

Chavez was third in the 100 butterfly (47.09 seconds), and sophomore Ivan Zukov was third in the 400 individual medley (3:51.08).

MEN’S TENNIS

At Tempe, Ariz., Andrea Bolla edged Alex Kobelt 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 at No. 1 singles to rally Arizona State (4-5) to a 4-3 victory over the Rebels (10-1).

Eric Samuelsson upset Makey Rakotomalala 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 at No. 2 singles for UNLV. The Rebels’ other singles win came at No. 5, where Anton Ornberg downed Will Kirkman 6-2, 7-6.

In doubles, Kobelt and Jordan Sauer teamed for a 6-4 victory over Bolla and Kirkman at No. 1, and Samuelsson and Clayton Alenik combined for a 6-4 triumph over Christian Lerby and George Stoupe at No. 2.

ACADEMICS

Fifty-four Rebels student/athletes gained Academic All-Mountain West recognition for the fall of 2019, the league announced Friday.

The 54 honorees were four short of tying last year’s record-setting total.

The women’s soccer team had a program-best 18 student/athletes named to the team, surpassing its previous mark of 15 set in 2002 and tied three times.

The cross country team tied its previous high of seven, which was set in 2004. Nineteen football players and 10 volleyball players also were honored.

To be eligible for selection to the Academic All-Mountain West team, student/athletes must have completed at least one academic term while maintaining a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or better while being a starter or significant contributor on their teams.