UNLV Rebels softball dropped the first game of its series against the Cal Berkeley Golden Bears on Strikeout Cancer Weekend by the score of 12-4 in six innings to make their record 19-21 on April 14.
In Strikeout Cancer Weekend, UNLV softball gave fans pink UNLV Softball stickers on Friday, pink UNLV scrunchies on Saturday, and pink color-changing cups on Sunday.
UNLV entered Strikeout Cancer Weekend with a three-game losing streak, lost the last game of its series against Fresno State on April 7 and both doubleheader games against San Diego State on April 12.
Cal entered the series with a win against Sacramento State 7-0 on April 11.
Starting pitchers of the matchup were Alanna Thiede (4-5) for the Rebels and Haylei Archer for the Golden Bears (8-5).
The Golden Bears got off to an early jump-start scoring six runs in the first two innings.
Elon Butler drove in Acacia Anders with a single, and Kacey Zobac hit a double bringing Butler home to put the Golden Bears on the board 2-0.
A wild pitch by Thiede brought home Zobac and extended the Golden Bears lead to 3-0 to end the top half of the first inning.
Thiede struggled in the second inning, hitting Diamond Holland by the pitch, walking Tatum Anzaldo, then giving up a three-run homer to Anders to make the score 6-0. After the homer, the Rebels called the bullpen and put Jasmine Martin on the mound. However, Jasmine Martin finished the inning by retiring the next two batters to keep the score 6-0 at the end of the top half of the second.
The Rebels got on the board with an April Visser leadoff home run to put the Rebels on the board, cutting the deficit to 6-1.
After giving up the homer, Archer walked Sofia Morales but bounced back, forcing Kelsie Kelso into a ground out double play and striking out Skyler Shaw swinging to keep the score 6-1 entering the third inning.
The Golden Bears countered the Rebels leadoff home run in the second inning with one of its own to start the third inning by Zobac to make the score 7-1.
The Rebels chipped away at the Golden Bears lead with a two-run home run by Janyssa Martin to cut the Berkeley lead to 7-3 at the end of the third inning.
Cal kept pulling away from the game with a two-run home run by Butler to make the score 9-3. After the homer, Sabrina Jolin was called into the game to pitch, and she retired Zobac to end the top of the fourth inning 9-3.
Cal forced a mercy rule in the sixth inning with a Makena Smith two-RBI single and a Butler RBI single to end the game after six innings played 12-4.
Up Next:
The Rebels will stay at home and return to conference play against the San Jose State Spartans from April 21 to April 23.
The series will be the Spartans last road series of the regular season—the Spartans cap off its season at home against Santa Clara and Utah State.
