UNLV bounced back in a big way Friday night, pounding Utah Tech 13-5 to get back in the win column at home and move to 10-11 on the season. The victory also evened the Rebels’ home record at 8-8.
Mantha Hatzenbeller supplied the early thunder, Diamond Sefe stayed scorching at the plate, and Lauren Fettic steadied the game in relief to earn her fourth win of the year.
Mantha’s blast flips the night
After two quiet innings, the Rebels broke through in the second with one swing.
Charelle Aki started the rally with a single, then Sefe followed with a base hit to center. Natalie Turner dropped down a bunt single to load the bases. That brought up Hatzenbeller, who turned on a 2-0 pitch and drove it deep to right for a grand slam and a 4-0 UNLV lead.
Utah Tech answered fast in the third, though, pushing across five runs to take a 5-4 lead. The Trailblazers strung together six hits in the inning, and UNLV also committed an error during the frame.
That could have changed the game. Instead, the Rebels answered right back.
Back-to-back answer shots
UNLV reclaimed control in the fourth with a power surge.
Aki led off the inning with a solo homer to left to tie it at 5-5. One batter later, Sefe launched a solo shot to deep center to put the Rebels back in front.
The inning kept rolling from there. Turner singled, Hatzenbeller worked a walk and Lyla Gonzalez lined a two-run single up the middle to stretch the lead to 8-5.
From that point on, Fettic and the Rebels took over.
Diamond shines, Lauren locks in
Sefe finished 3-for-3, scored three times and homered as part of another huge night in the middle of the order.
Hatzenbeller drove in four with the grand slam, scored twice and also stole a base. Aki went 2-for-3 with a walk and a homer, while Turner was 3-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored, one RBI and a stolen base.
UNLV kept piling on in the fifth and sixth. Sefe singled in the fifth, then came all the way around on a Utah Tech error before scoring on a passed ball. In the sixth, Rachel Cook drove in a run with a single to right-center, Bri Williams added an RBI single, and Turner capped the scoring with another RBI knock through the left side.
Fettic was the difference in the circle. After replacing Emma Wardlaw in the third, she allowed just three hits over 3.1 scoreless innings with one walk and three strikeouts. The win pushed Fettic to 4-4 on the year.
Up next
UNLV continues the weekend tonight against North Dakota State at 6 p.m. PT at Eller Media Stadium.
Then the Rebels return Saturday for a pair of games, facing LMU at 3 p.m. PT before closing the day against North Dakota State at 6 p.m. PT.
All three games will be streamed on YouTube.
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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.
