Women’s tennis team falls against Tar Heels

UNLV, ranked 36th, was coming off a 4-3 victory over No. 25 Virginia Commonwealth in Friday’s first round. North Carolina took two of three matches to gain the doubles point, then claimed straight-set wins at Nos. 2, 4 and 5 singles.

The matches at Nos. 1, 3 and 6 singles were stopped in progress after the Tar Heels clinched the victory. Jana Albers, at the No. 3 slot, was the lone Rebel to take a set and was two games from a win, leading 6-4, 4-3 against Jelena Durisic when play was halted.

The Rebels finished 22-5, their most wins since 1990 and their best winning percentage (.815) since the 2002 team went 20-4 (.833).

No. 1 singles player Kristina Nedeltcheva, ranked 45th, will advance to the NCAA Singles Championship, which opens May 26 at Georgia.

■ SOFTBALL — At Fort Collins, Colo., UNLV hammered Colorado State 15-3 in five innings in a Mountain West Conference game.

Laura Briones got the Rebels rolling with a two-run homer in the second inning to tie the score at 2. The Rebels then exploded for 11 runs in the third, with Ashli Holland hitting a solo homer and an RBI single during the surge. Tara Bendt added a two-run triple, and Kendall Fearn had a bases-loaded triple and scored on a wild pitch to end the tear.

Jaci Hull homered in the fifth for the Rebels (33-20, 10-5 MWC), and Briones added a two-run double to cap her four-RBI effort.

Jessica O’Connor threw all five innings for UNLV, allowing five hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

The Rebels will learn tonight whether they’ve earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament.

■ TRACK AND FIELD — At Albuquerque, N.M., the Rebels took second in the 4×400-meter relay, helping them finish fifth in the team standings among nine schools at the Mountain West Conference Outdoor Championships.

Brigham Young took the team title with 204 points, well ahead of second-place Texas Christian (121). UNLV had 71 points, a half-point ahead of sixth-place Utah.

Chauncey David-Jacobs finished second in the 200 dash and fourth in the 400, and Emily Blok took fourth in the 100 and fifth in the 200. UNLV’s 4×100 relay team finished second.

Amanda Bingson, who won the hammer throw with a school-record toss of 210 feet, 2 inches Friday, earned the meet’s Outstanding Performance honor.

■ BASEBALL — UNLV got pounded by Utah 25-5 in MWC action at Wilson Stadium, allowing 12 runs in the first three innings and an eight-run sixth inning.

Drew Beuerlein had a two-run homer for the Rebels (27-22, 11-9) to tie the score at 2 in the first inning, but the Utes scored six runs in the second and rolled from there. Utah got grand slams from C.J. Cron — who finished with eight RBIs — and Nik Gumeson, and UNLV committed a season-high five errors.