LAS VEGAS, Nev. - The CSUB softball team gave two performances at opposite ends of the spectrum Friday night at the Sportco Classic, falling to host UNLV 17-1 before narrowly missing an upset of 2009 NCAA Tournament qualifier Illinois in a 3-2 loss that ended at 12:04 a.m. Saturday morning.

Sophomore Sammy Rodriguez starred for CSUB Friday. Making her first collegiate pitching appearance against the Big 10 power, she shut the Illini out for four innings, allowing the Roadrunners to jump on top with two runs in the fifth. But Illinois scrapped back for a run in the bottom of the fifth before Audrey Gallien hit a two-run homer in the sixth to lift Illinois to victory.

Rodriguez doubled with two outs in the seventh to give the Roadrunners a chance to come back, but her teammates couldn't bring her home. She finished the game allowing just five hits while striking out six.

Friday's opener wasn't nearly so exciting for Roadrunner fans, however, as UNLV scored six times in the first inning then went on to post 17 runs in the five-inning game. The 17 runs were the most ever allowed by the Roadrunners, eclipsing the old opponent record of 15 set by Cal State Dominguez Hills in 2007.