Wednesday, April 30, 1997

FORT COLLINS-- 10th-ranked Rams won their sixth straight game and its 29th in its last 31 outings with a doubleheader sweep of the University of Nevada Las Vegas today in Western Athletic Conference softball action at Ram Field. The Rams took game one 6-0 and followed with a 7-4 win in the nightcap. The wins improve the Rams' record to 45-10 overall, 22-4 in the WAC and moves Colorado State to three games up on second-ranked Fresno State, whom the Rams swept on Monday. UNLV drops to 24-24, 15-11 in the WAC.

Nikki Johnson set a Colorado State record with 13 strikeouts in the opener and allowed just four hits in tossing her ninth shutout of the year. With the win, the senior from Aurora (Gateway High School) improved to 28-4 on the season. Brandi Isgar took the loss for the Rebels, dropping to 9-10.

The Rams jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning of game one with Stephanie Norton driving in two runs with a double and Alyson Carter adding an RBI single. Carter and Norton each had RBI singles again in the fifth inning and Jennifer Buford scored on a Sarah Fredstrom ground out for the final run in the sixth.

Buford went 4 for 4 and Fredstrom was 3 for 4 to pace the Colorado State offense. Heather Siegel had two of UNLV's four hits, including a double and was the only Rebel player to advance to second base in the game.

Johnson was again called on in game two, this time in relief of starter Erin Bennett. Johnson entered the game with two out in the fifth. UNLV had the bases loaded and Colorado State was clinging to a 5-4 lead. Johnson got the Rebels' Keao Chang on a called third strike to end the threat and allowed just one baserunner on a walk the rest of the way. The WAC leader in wins and strikeouts picked up her second save of the year in striking out three. Bennett improved her record to 14-6 with the win, her 10th in her last 11 starts. Tanya Edwards took the loss for UNLV, dropping to 7-2.

Fredstrom opened the scoring in game two with a solo home run in the first inning, her fifth of the season. UNLV answered with a run in the second when Devon Ramos singled in Brandi Isgar. The Rams got two more in their half of the second. The first run came when the Rebels were unable to handle Bernadette Lamb's squeeze bunt, scoring Carter, and then Norton stole home on the next at bat as part of a double steal.

The Rebels came right back in the third with a two-run homer by Siegel to tie the game at three. The Rams pushed another run across in their half of the third with Amber Solano scoring all the way from first on an errant pickoff throw by Siegel, the UNLV catcher. Jena Spahr singled in Carter in the fourth to make it 5-3.

Isgar singled in a run for UNLV in the fifth to wrap up the Rebel scoring. Colorado State put up two insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth with Solano scoring on a wild pitch and Kelley Spence singling in Fredstrom.

With the wins, Colorado State wins the season series against UNLV after splitting earlier this month in Las Vegas. The Rams also evened the all-time series with the Rebels at 5-5.

Colorado State hits the road for a pair of WAC doubleheaders at Utah Friday and Saturday. Friday's twin bill is set for 1:30 p.m. and Saturday's first pitch is slated for noon. Utah is currently in third place in the WAC with an 18-8 conference record and a 36-13 overall record.