UNLV blasted its way back into the win column Friday night.
After being held to one hit earlier in the day, the Rebels flipped the script in the second game of the Desert Classic, rolling to a 10-1 win over Quinnipiac in five innings at Eller Media Stadium. Bri Williams set a school record with nine RBI, hitting two home runs and a bases-clearing double to account for nine of UNLV’s 10 runs.
UNLV scored in three different innings and never let Quinnipiac settle in after a messy start.
Williams turns one swing into four runs
Quinnipiac struck first in the top of the first, scoring an unearned run after a throwing error. UNLV answered immediately, and the response was loud.
Rachel Cook opened the bottom of the inning with a double, and Charelle Aki worked a walk. Diamond Sefe followed with a single to load the bases, and even after a fielder’s choice at the plate, Williams erased everything with one swing.
Williams launched a grand slam to deep center to put UNLV up 4-1 before the inning ended.
More thunder in the third
UNLV kept piling on in the third, and again it came via the long ball.
Aki led off the inning with a solo homer to deep center. Later, Maggie Vasa singled and Williams followed by crushing her second home run of the night, a two-run shot to deep left that stretched the lead to 7-1.
Natalie Turner added a triple in the inning, helping keep pressure on the defense.
One more big hit seals it
UNLV finished the scoring in the fourth with another bases-loaded moment, and Williams delivered again.
Keyannah Chavez drew a walk and Cook reached on an error. Sefe singled to load the bases, and Williams ripped a double to left-center to clear them, driving in three more to push the lead to 10-1.
Williams finished 3-for-3 with nine RBI, two homers and a double in one of the biggest single-game lines UNLV has posted this season.
Aki went 1-for-2 with a home run, a walk and two runs scored. Sefe finished 2-for-3 and scored twice, while Vasa scored three times and added a hit.
Clean work in the circle
Yanina Sherwood earned the win for UNLV, allowing one unearned run on four hits in 4.0 innings. Sherwood walked one and struck out two.
Amelia Weber closed it out in the fifth with a scoreless inning, and UNLV turned two double plays behind its pitchers.
Up next
UNLV continues Desert Classic play on Saturday, Feb. 14, facing Seattle U at 3 p.m. PT and Quinnipiac again at 6 p.m. PT at Eller Media Stadium.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
