UNLV roundup: Softball team ends Boise State’s 17-win run

Mia Trejo homered and drove in four runs to back freshman Jenny Bressler, who pitched a complete game, leading UNLV past defending Mountain West champion Boise State 8-1 in both softball teams’ league opener Friday at Eller Media Stadium.

Bressler (12-2) allowed one run on nine hits and one walk while striking out one, lowering her ERA to 1.76, as the Rebels (20-5) halted a 17-game win streak by the No. 24-ranked Broncos (18-3).

UNLV, which won its fourth in a row, matched its 1995 team for the second-best 25-game start in the program’s 35-year history, behind only the 1995 team that went 21-4.

Trejo broke open a 1-0 game with a three-run homer in the third inning off Kelsey Broadus (7-1), who entered with a 1.83 ERA. The junior left-hander allowed seven runs, five earned, on eight hits and two walks and struck out six in 5 2/3 innings.

Justine Federe went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, Lauren Tycksen went 3-for-4 and scored three runs, Reina Bondi went 2-for-3 with a triple and scored three runs, and Denise Armendariz went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Karlee Johnson and Rebekah Cervantes had two hits apiece for Boise State.

BASEBALL

At San Jose, Calif., Johnny Mendoza hit a tying RBI single in the ninth inning and scored on a wild pitch to rally San Jose State to a 2-1 win over the Rebels.

UNLV starter Cameron Jabara (1-1) took a shutout into the ninth and ultimately allowed two runs on 10 hits and two walks and struck out four over 8 1/3 innings.

The Rebels (11-8, 2-2 Mountain West) managed two hits in eight innings off Spartans starter Andrew Mitchel, who struck out six and walked four. Fineas Bonta-Smith (2-1) pitched a perfect ninth for San Jose State (10-7, 4-3).

Both UNLV hits — singles by Dillon Johnson and James Gamble — came in the third and followed a leadoff walk to Jacob Godman, who scored on a sacrifice fly by Jack-Thomas Wold.

Blake Berry went 3-for-4, including a double in the ninth, and Kellen Strahm went 2-for-4, including a single in the ninth, for the Spartans.

MEN’S GOLF

Sophomore Jack Trent was named the co-Mountain West golfer of the week for winning his first individual title at last week’s Southern Highlands Collegiate.

The event featured five teams ranked among the nation’s top 10. With the victory, Trent gained an exemption into the PGA Tour’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at TPC Summerlin in October.

Trent began the final round with a three-shot lead and won the title on the third playoff hole with a birdie over No. 23-ranked Cole Hammer of Texas.

After a first-round 5-under-par 67 and a second-round 68, Trent shot 71 in the final round to finish the event at 10 under. His first-round 67 was his low round of the year.

Trent is the sixth Rebel to win the title at UNLV’s home tournament and the first since 2012. The others were Ed Fryatt (1993), Ted Oh (1995), Ryan Moore (2003), Matt Kinsinger (2006) and Blake Biddle (2012).

TRACK AND FIELD

At Partridge Stadium, senior Stella Clemens won the heptathlon in the UNLV Invitational/Sheila Tarr-Smith Multis, placing in the top two in five of the event’s seven disciplines.

Clemens won the shot put (39 feet, 8 inches) and placed second in the 200-meter dash (26.66 seconds), 100 hurdles (15.03 seconds), high jump (5 feet, 3 inches) and javelin (116 feet, 8 inches).

She was fourth in the long jump (17 feet, 0.75 inches) and 800 (2 minutes, 35.76 seconds).

Mackenna Howard was second in the hammer throw (163 feet, 11 inches).

The three-day meet concludes Saturday with 19 events. Athletes from 10 programs, including six Utah colleges, are competing.

SWIMMING

At Cleveland, freshman Michal Cukanow placed sixth in the 100-yard butterfly in 48.24 seconds to lead the Rebels’ four entrants on the second day of the three-day National Invitational Championships.

Junior Hayden Hemmens was eighth in the 200 freestyle in 1 minute, 38.22 seconds, freshman Carissa Armijo was 10th in the 200 freestyle (1:49.53), and freshman Ivan Zukov was 13th (and third in the B final) in the 100 breaststroke in 54.69 seconds.

MEN’S TENNIS

At Fertitta Tennis Complex, Felipe Acosta and Duro Opacic each won in singles and teamed for a doubles victory for defending Mountain West champion Utah State (11-4, 1-0) in its 4-1 win over the Rebels (9-4, 0-1), UNLV’s first loss in nine home matches.

Eric Samuelsson and Clayton Alenik teamed for a 6-2 win at No. 1 doubles for the Rebels, and Jordan Sauer and Olle Thestrup combined on a 6-2 victory at No. 2 doubles.