by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
After a total of 38 runs during Saturday’s doubleheader, UTEP and WKU played seven scoreless frames before the top of the eighth. The Hilltoppers (22-21, 6-9 Conference USA) put up seven runs on seven hits to pull away from the Miners (11-28, 5-10 C-USA), 7-2, in the rubber match on Sunday afternoon at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex.
UTEP set itself up for a possible walk-off win in the bottom seventh when two runners were on second and third with one out.
Lindsey Sokoloski reached first on an error to lead off the seventh and Mallorie Cross used a sacrifice bunt to advance to Sokoloski to second base. Pinch hitter Mariah Ellis connected a single hit to left, while advancing to second on the throw. The top of the order came around with Kaitlin Ryder at bat with two runners on and one out. Ryder reached on a fielder’s choice as Sokoloski was thrown out, but Ellis advanced to third. Courtney Clayton then grounded out on a 1-1 pitch to end the frame.
In the eighth inning, WKU’s Brittany Vaughn and Kelsey McGuffin each tallied a pair of RBI.
The Miners tacked on two runs in the bottom half.
Kiki Pepi connected on her second hit in an eighth, a one-out single to left and advanced to third on an error by the fielder. Taylor Sargent then drove Pepi home on a ball crushed to deep right center for her second triple in as many days. Pamala Baber followed with a sacrifice fly to center that plated Sargent to make the score 7-2. But after back-to-back singles by Sokoloski and Cross, Ariel Blair grounded out to short to end the contest.
Kaitlin Fifield (2-6) made her second start of the weekend, holding WKU’s bats in the check for the first seven frames. Fifield got out of jams throughout the contest, hurling 7.2 innings and striking out a trio of Hilltoppers – all looking. Fifield worked her way out of bases loaded situation in the third, while finding herself with a pair of runners on second and third in the sixth, but forced back-to-back groundouts to the pitcher’s circle.
Kathryn Downing (12-8), a day after losing game one, threw a complete game victory on Sunday, tallying four Ks and allowing nine hits.
Pepi and Sargent each finished 2-for-4, while Cross produced a 2-for-3 outing. Sargent added her 17th RBI of the season and raised her average to .349 to rank third on the squad. Sargent was hitting .250 after the March 26 contest versus Southern Miss. The junior is hitting a team-best .600 (18-30) the last eight games with 10 RBI and six doubles – both team highs during the stretch.
UTEP is hitting .307 as a team after producing nine hits on Sunday and a total of 30 knocks during the weekend.
UTEP will travel to Ruston to take on LA Tech during Easter Weekend (April 14-15). The Lady Techsters (9-3) stand in first place in the West Division after sweeping UAB this past weekend.
Friday’s doubleheader is set for a 1 p.m. MT/2 CT, while Saturday is set for an 11 a.m. MT/noon CT start.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
Senior Kaitlin Fifield pitched a complete-game victory and freshman Mallorie Cross registered a career-high three RBI as UTEP took care of WKU in six innings, 10-2, in the first game of aSaturday doubleheader at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex.
The Hilltoppers (21-21, 5-9 Conference USA) responded with an 18-8 (5) victory over the Miners (11-27, 5-9 C-USA) in game two.
The series finale will be played Sunday with the first pitch slated for a noon start.
UTEP 10, WKU 2 [6]
The Miners came out firing in the first inning as Kaitlin Ryder led the game off with a single to left on a 0-2 pitch. Courtney Clayton drew a walk to set up a Taylor Sargent two-out, two-run single hit to left on a full-count pitch to give UTEP a 2-0 advantage.
Sargent had also advanced to second on the throw and after taking third base on a passed ball, Cross recorded the first of her three RBI on a double smacked to right center for a 3-0 lead.
UTEP took a 4-0 lead when Pamala Baber drew a lead-off hit by pitch that set up a Clayton sacrifice hit to left.
The Hilltoppers cut the lead to 4-2 as Jordan Mauch and Adarian Gray tallied back-to-back RBI doubles in the third. But the Orange and Blue got the pair of runs back in the home half as Pepi and Sargent crossed the dish on a throwing error to home with bases loaded (6-2).
The Miners would tack on another run in the fourth when Cross singled in Kiki Pepi on an infield single on a 2-2 pitch to put the Miners ahead, 7-2. Pepi had reached on a fielder’s choice earlier in the frame.
After a scoreless fifth, the Miners put the game away in the sixth.
Cortney Smith reached second base on an error with one out, while Pepi singled in Smith on a hit to shallow left for an 8-2 advantage. Sargent would reach on a fielder’s choice as out no. 2 was recorded, but Cross connected on her third hit of the afternoon on a single to center that plated Sargent (9-2).
Cross, who had reached second on the throw, was replaced by pinch runner senior Miranda Gutierrez. Lindsey Sokoloski, who rates no. 1 in the nation in toughest to strikeout, drew a walk on a 3-1 toss that set up Baber. After a wild pitch advanced Gutierrez to third, the freshman drove a ball through the left side that plated her teammate for the game-winning run.
UTEP produced another double-digit hit (12) performance led by Cross’s 3-for-4 effort (tied career high). Sargent’s bat stayed lit as she produced a 3-for-4 outing with a pair of RBI and a career-high three runs scored.
Sargent is hitting .615 (16-26) with nine RBI, five doubles, six runs and two stolen bases the last seven games (including game two). Clayton (including game two) has reached base in nine consecutive games after she drew a walk during game one.
“[Taylor Sargent] is doing a great job and she’s starting to stay within herself and not try too hard,” fourth-year head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk said. “At the beginning of the year she was struggling a bit and it’s always a mental challenge. If they just keep working like we tell them, sooner or later things are going to fall into place. Your swing is going to make sense and you’ll start to feel comfortable. She’s done a great job with that.”
Fifield (2-5) won her second game of the season after hurling her team-leading third complete game. Fifield kept WKU’s big bats in check (leads C-USA in home runs), only allowing five hits and striking out a trio of Hilltoppers.
“[Kaitlin Fifield] did a great job and she kept [WKU] off the bases,” Echo-Hawk said. “Even when she got herself into a couple of jams, she did a nice job working out of it. She’s hitting her strides and we’re hoping she can keep consistent.”
One of those jams happened in the third after the back-to-back doubles. Fifield forced a ground out and struck out Rebekah Engelhardt to end the inning that left two runners on base.
Fifield now has 24 wins in the career, ranking tied third with Kelly Curran on the program’s all-time list. Danielle Pearson recorded 25 wins to rank no. 2. Stacie Townsend won 64 contests during her illustrious career.
The Miners also turned their 23rd double play of the season in the sixth (L54 DP), while it was the seventh double play turned the last six games.
UTEP 8, WKU 18 [5]
The Hilltoppers poured on the runs in the first inning as they took an 8-0 lead on five knocks.
The Miners never recovered but did score some runs to make the game interesting the first few frames.
After Clayton singled to left to reach base for the ninth consecutive game and Pepi drew a two-out walk, Sargent’s lumber did more work as she plated her teammates with her second career triple hit to right field off the fence to make the score 8-2. It was Sargent’s first triple since her freshman season.
After WKU scored a trio of runs in the second (11-2), the Miners responded with two more runs after Baber whaled on a 1-1 pitch and drove a liner down the leftfield line for her third home run of the season, getting the Miners within seven runs. The dinger was Baber’s first since March 8 at New Mexico.
With the score 12-4, Ryder drove in Sokoloski on a single slammed to right center. Sokoloski had reached base with her speed on a single hit to the short stop.
After WKU scored another six runs in the fifth, the Miners came up with three more runs in the bottom half. With bases loaded with one out, Sokoloski grounded out, but paved the way for Smith to cross the dish. A wild pitch then plated Pepi and Baber came up with her career-high third RBI on a hit to center field that scored Sargent.
UTEP registered nine knocks led by Baber’s 2-for-3 performance (tied career high). Prior to game one, Baber was hitless the previous eight games. Sargent tallied two more hits and Ariel Blair went 2-for-2.
“[Pamala Baber] and I worked pretty hard on timing this week,” Echo-Hawk said. “And she did a good job of paying attention to it and trying to do different things. She’s buying into what we are trying to tell her. It helps that she’s super coachable which helps us a lot.”
Blair made a spectacular catch to steal a Engelhardt home run the third inning with two outs. Engelhardt connected on a towering ball that just kept going. However, Blair made a nice read on it and made a leaping attempt to steal it over the fence. The ball hit her glove to ricochet back into the field of play and Blair snagged it while falling to the ground.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
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The UTEP softball team will continue Conference USA action as it hosts WKU April 8-9 at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex.
The Miners and Hilltoppers will compete for the first time ever in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Sunday�s contest has been changed to a noon start.
Tickets are $3 for kids and $5 for adults, while �Bark in the Park� is the weekend theme.
The Miners (10-26, 4-8 C-USA) are tied with Southern Miss (4-8) and UTSA (4-8) in the West Division, while the Hilltoppers (20-20, 4-8) stands in fifth place in the East Division. WKU is one game up on Middle Tennessee (3-9) and a game behind Charlotte (5-7).
UTEP will play all league games from here on out, which includes trips to LA Tech (April 14-15) and UAB (April 29-30). The Miners will end the regular season hosting Florida Atlantic (May 6-7).
The C-USA Tournament will be held in Hattiesburg (Southern Miss) May 10-13 as the top eight programs will advance to the postseason to play for an automatic bid to the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
LAST WEEK
UTEP took a three-day road to San Antonio April 1-3 to play at league foe UTSA, while playing its final nonconference contests at Incarnate Word. The Miners forged a 2-3 record during the weekend in East Texas, which included an epic game two, 7-6, victory in 10 innings at UTSA and a run-rule, 11-3 (5), win in game two against UIW.
Against the Roadrunners in game two, the Miners were down 3-0 after four innings before Cortney Smith connected on her seventh home run in the fifth frame � a solo shot over right center. UTEP took a 4-3 lead it the sixth as Smith tallied her second RBI of the contest on a single to left and Kiki Pepi connected on a two-run single to right.
The Roadrunners tied the score in the bottom half and the two teams traded runs in the innings eight and nine before Pepi came up with a solo blast down the left line for the go-ahead lead in the 10th. Sargent gave the Miners a 5-4 lead in the eighth, while Clayton homered in the ninth for a 6-5 advantage. Kaitlin Fifield threw all 10.0 frames (career high) to earn her first win of the season. UTEP fell in game one, 8-1, while UTSA rallied from 5-3 down to win 8-5 during Sunday�s series finale.
At Incarnate Word, UTEP rebounded from a 5-2 loss in game one to storm back with a 11-3 victory in 5.0 innings. Kaitlin Ryder blasted a career-high two dingers on a 3-for-4 performance with four RBI. Taylor Grohmann won her first game of 2017, throwing a complete game with no earned runs.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. WKU
The two programs will meet for the first time ever on Saturday.
SCOUTING WKU
The Hilltoppers are currently at an even 20-20 record, while tallying a 4-8 conference record. WKU started off its conference run with sweeping Middle Tennessee but falling short to FAU, Marshall and UAB. WKU leads Conference USA with 32 home runs, but is hitting a .203 as a team to rank last in C-USA.
The Hilltoppers lead the conference in hit by pitch (60) and leads the way by striking out 237 times to leads the league. WKU has scored 144 runs, ranking tied ninth in C-USA. Jordan Mauch is shining through in the lineup with a .289 average, 18 RBI and a team-best 10 home runs.
Brittany Vaughn (.271) leads the team with 24 RBI, while ranking second with six dingers. Kara Brewer (.226) leads the team with nine stolen bases. Adriana Gray (.176) has hit five home runs with 18 RBI. On the defensive side of the game, the Hilltopper pitchers are recording a 3.15 ERA as a staff, ranking in the middle of the pack in conference. Kathryn Downing (11-7) has won the most games and has kept her ERA down to a staff-leading 2.09 and striking out 75 batters.
EXTRA INNING AFFAIRS
UTEP played in an epic 10-inning contest in game two at UTSA � in which the Miners won 7-6 over the Roadrunners. It was the longest game since playing 11 frames at Florida Atlantic on April 19, 2014. The April 1 contest at UTSA is tied for fourth longest in UTEP history. The most innings played was a 13-inning battle on May 7, 2009 against East Carolina at the Conference USA Tournament in El Paso with UTEP coming out on top 4-3.
The Miners have played 11 innings twice in program history, as the second was on April 7, 2013 at UCF. UTEP and Southern Miss went 10 frames on April 16, 2011, while another 10-inning contest was played on March 20, 2007 against no. 5 Arizona State � an 8-7 Miners� victory. UTEP is 3-3 all-time in games that go 10-plus innings.
#TURNUP
UTEP turned six more double plays in San Antonio this past weekend � five at UTSA and another at Incarnate Word. The Miners have turned 22 double plays to lead Conference USA and rank tied no. 4 nationally. UTEP also ranks no. 9 nationally in double plays turned per game (.61). Auburn leads the nation with 28 double plays turned and turned per game (.78).
Courtney Clayton ranks third in C-USA in fielding double plays with 11, while Cortney Smith (nine) and Taylor Sargent (nine) rank tied sixth.
BAT WOMEN
UTEP ranks third in Conference USA with its .301 batting average is one of four league programs hitting .300 or better. Marshall (.322), UTSA (.312) and Charlotte (.300) are the other three teams. Nationally, UTEP ranks no. 55 as no. 1 Florida State leads the nation in hitting (.367).
UTEP RANKINGS IN C-USA ONLY GAMES
The Miners rank second in batting average (.316) and hits (109) in Conference USA games only, behind UTSA (.329 & 114 hits). UTEP ranks second in slugging (.447) and RBI (54), tied second in runs scored (54), third in doubles (14) and total bases (143), and fourth in on-base percentage (.369).
5 IN THE TOP 25
UTEP has five players ranked in the top 25 in Conference USA in batting. Kaitlin Ryder (.365) ranks 13th,Cortney Smith (.354) ranks 14th, Kiki Pepi (.349) and Courtney Clayton (.346) ranks no. 17 and 18, andTaylor Sargent (.316) ranks 24th. UTEP has the most players in the top 25, while UTSA has four players. Charlotte, FIU, Marshall and North Texas each have three, and Florida Atlantic and Middle Tennessee has two each.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
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SAN ANTONIO, Texas � Kaitlin Ryder blasted a career-high two home runs and Taylor Grohmann threw a complete game (no earned runs) as the Miners clipped Cardinals, 11-3 [5], in game two on Monday�afternoon at Cardinal Softball Field.
The Miners (10-26) split their two contests against Incarnate Word (7-29) as the Cardinals won game one 5-2.
UTEP 11, UIW 3 [5]
Courtney Clayton, who registered her 13th multi-hit game of the season, led the contest off with a single that set up Ryder for her first dinger of the afternoon. The junior cranked a two-run shot on a 2-1 pitch over center to give the Miners an early 2-0 edge.
The scoring onslaught happened in the second frame as the Miners batted around the order and racked up seven runs on six hits.
In the second, Lindsey Sokoloski, who was perfect at the plate, singled to right on a one-out, first pitch toss. Clayton knocked Sokoloski across the dish after she singled to right to make the score 3-0, while an error in right advanced Clayton to third. Ryder registered another RBI, this time on a single to right that scored Clayton.
Cortney Smith was hit by a pitch to put two on base for Kiki Pepi. Smith and Ryder recorded a double steal before Pepi came up with a two-run double through the left side to make the score 6-0.
The inning continued when Taylor Sargent singled on a bunt, advancing Pepi to third. Sargent went on to steal second and Pepi took home when the fielder dropped the ball on Sargent�s steal attempt, giving the Miners a 7-0 advantage. Cross and Bryanna Molina drew back-to-back walks that set up back-to-back RBI by Sokoloski and Clayton to make the score 9-0.
Incarnate Word would score a run in the bottom second and tacked on two more in fourth (9-3).
But the Miners wanted to finish the contest early as Ryder led off the top fifth with her second long ball of the contest over center on a 3-1 hurl. Following a pair of outs, Sargent doubled off the fence in center and Cross connected on an infield single that took a crazy bounce away from the first baseman that paved the way for Sargent to score for the eight run lead.
Starting pitcher Grohmann (1-1) allowed a lead-off single by Danielle Ramirez, but Marcela Lopez and Christy Trevino each popped out to Smith. Alex Alonzo grounded out to end the contest.
Grohmann won her first contest of 2017, walking none on 84 pitches.
Ryder tied her career high in knocks with a 3-for-4 effort, while recording four RBI in the process. Sokoloski also tied her career high in hits with her 3-for-3 game, along with scoring a run and registering her fourth RBI of the season. Pepi upped her RBI total to a team-best 30, while Ryder ranks second with 26 RBI. Clayton scored a pair of runs and tallied a pair of RBI on her 2-for-3 outing. Clayton is tied for no. 5 with Kayla Oranger on the program�s all-time hit�s list (174). Sargent also tied her career high in hits (3-for-4) and scored two runs.
UTEP 2, UIW 5
The Cardinals used a four-run second as the Miners couldn�t dig themselves out of the hole. Ryder put her squad on the board with a sac-fly to center that scored Ariel Blair to make the score 4-1.
Incarnate Word got the run back in the sixth.
Clayton used her first hit of the game to plate pinch runner Brianna Red, but the Miners couldn�t figure out Cardinals� pitcher Joanna Velencia. The starting hurler struck out nine batters in a complete game effort.
Blair and Clayton tallied the Miners� only two hits.
Up Next
UTEP will return to Conference USA action as it hosts WKU for the first time in program history. The Miners and Lady Toppers will play a doubleheader on April 8, starting at 3 p.m., while Sunday�s series finale is set for a 1 p.m. start. WKU (20-20, 4-8 C-USA) stands in fifth place in the East Division.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
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SAN ANTONIO, Texas � Taylor Sargent recorded a career-high three RBI on a pair of doubles and Kiki Pepi hit her second home run in as many days, but UTSA came up with timely hits in the sixth to earn an 8-5 victory on Sunday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.
The loss puts the Miners (9-25, 4-8 Conference USA) and the Roadrunners (14-22, 4-8 C-USA) tied in the West Division. The series finale got off to a late start (4 p.m. CT) due to rainy conditions in the morning. The game was scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
In the first, Pepi connected a two-run liner over center to give the Miners an early 2-0 advantage. With the score 2-2 after UTSA tied the game in the second, Sargent helped her squad go up 3-2�with a hard double hit to center that plated Kaitlin Ryder during the third. Ryder had walked with one out and eventually reached second after Pepi reached first on an error.
The Roadrunners would tie the contest again in the fourth, but Sargent crushed her second double of the afternoon that scored Courtney Clayton and Pepi in the fifth. Clayton led off the inning with a single to right and Pepi drew a two-out walk to set up the runners in scoring position.
UTSA would go on to score five runs on four hits, a pair of walks and a fielding miscue in the sixth to run away with the win.
UTEP tallied seven hits led by Sargent�s 3-for-3 day, while she tied her career best with the two doubles. Sargent, who made the start at first base, came up with an amazing diving catch on a pop fly in the fourth. Kaley Pyles connected on a towering hit in the which the other infielders lost the ball in the sun and Sargent made a mad dash towards the circle to come up with the extended snag for the out.
Starting pitcher Erika Harrawood threw 5.0 frames (four earned runs), walked none and struck out a batter.
Up Next
UTEP will continue its San Antonio tour as Incarnate Word is on the Monday slate. The doubleheader will begin at 1 p.m. CT/Noon MT. It was mark the final nonconference contests for the Miners. UTEP will continue C-USA action on April 8-9 when it hosts WKU.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
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SAN ANTONIO, Texas � In a wild game two contest, Courtney Clayton and Cortney Smith each slammed solo home runs and Kiki Pepi gave UTEP the go-ahead lead in the 10th on a solo shot, lifting the Miners to a 7-6 victory after trailing 3-0 early in the game on Saturday afternoon at Roadrunner Softball Field.
�It was a battle all day and it�s one of those where after the first game we could�ve just laid down and chalked up a bad day,� fourth-year head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk said. �The kids were just resilient; kept fighting and kept coming back with their backs against the wall. That is all I ask of them and they did a great job today.�
It was a great triumph following a Miners� (9-24, 4-7 Conference USA) game one, 8-1, loss to the Roadrunners (13-22, 3-8 C-USA). With the game two win, UTEP moves one game ahead of UTSA in C-USA West and snapped a five-game losing streak in the process.
�Sometimes life doesn�t care what happens to you,� Echo-Hawk said. �It�s all about how you respond because no one will ever feel sorry for you. You just need to keep fighting because it�s easy to quit and make yourselves victims. Short-term memory also comes into play. A few of our girls were having bad games and then came up with big hits.�
UTEP racked up 26 total hits in the two games, including a season-high 17 hits in the second contest � tied most during the Echo-Hawk. Clayton went 3-for-5 as it was her 12th multi-hit game of the season and no. 54 of her career, while Pepi (3-for-4) and Taylor Sargent (3-for-6) tied their career highs in hits.
Kaitlin Fifield won her first game of the season, as she threw a career-high 10.0 innings. Fifield now has 23 wins in her career, ranking behind Kelly Curan (24) and Danielle Pearson (25) on the program�s all-time list.
The series finale is Sunday, starting at 1 p.m. CT/Noon MT.
UTEP 7, UTSA 6 [10]
The Roadrunners took an early lead, scoring three runs in the second inning. But instead of rolling over, the relentless Miners fought back.
Smith started the comeback when she connected on her seventh home run of 2017, a solo shot over right center on a 2-1 count to get within two runs (3-1). It was Smith�s first home run since March 4 at Texas Tech. Smith finished the contest 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI and two runs.
UTEP then took a 4-3 lead in the sixth on five hits. With one out, Ariel Blair used one of her two hits to single to left. Clayton and Kaitlin Ryder singled to center on back-to-back at bats to load the bases for Smith. The sophomore singled in Blair to bring the Miners within a run. Pepi, who tallied three RBI in game two, singled to right center, plating Clayton and Ryder to give her squad a 4-3 lead.
In the bottom sixth, UTSA tied the contest 4-4 after Kaley Pyles knocked in Bailee Baldwin, who led off with a single to right. Pyles, though, was thrown out at second base for the second out. Taylor Oberg doubled, but Fifield forced Angelica Nino to ground out to Smith to end the inning.
After a scoreless seventh, the runs started the cross the dish during the nail-biting last three frames.
Smith reached first after being hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Pepi advanced her teammate to second on a sac-bunt and then Sargent doubled down the left field line, plating Smith for a 5-4 advantage.
But the Roadrunners would answer in the bottom eighth. Baldwin doubled to right field off the fence with one out and Hailey Garza singled down the left line, advancing pinch runner Erica Sanchez to third. Pyles, as she did in the sixth, came up with another big hit that scored Sanchez to tie the contest 5-5.
In the ninth with two quick outs, Clayton launched a towering solo shot over left on a 1-2 pitch to give the Miners a 6-5 edge. It was her first dinger since March 11 at North Texas.
But the contest would not end there as UTSA tied the score in the bottom ninth. Lindsey Stewart led off the home half with a single up the middle, while proceeding to steal second base. Celeste Loughman reached on a bunt single and also followed by snagging a base to put runners at second and third with no outs. Rylee Rodriguez grounded out to Smith, but Randee Crawford tied the contest with a sac-fly hit to center in which Stewart scored. Fifield then forced Sanchez to pop out the second base as Clayton made an over-the-shoulder catch to halt the game-winning run from scoring.
The 10th inning drama was set up for Pepi, who had not homered since March 1 at NM State. Pepi saw seven pitches and finally connected on the eighth pitch, a liner over left on a 3-2 count that put the Miners ahead for good.
Fifield used only five pitches in the bottom 10th as the final three batters went down in order to conclude the epic contest. Fifield helped her cause on the defensive side when she recorded four assists from the circle.
The 10-inning game was the longest since the Miners fell at Florida Atlantic on April 19, 2014 in 11 frames. Saturday�s extra inning nail-biter is tied for fourth longest in UTEP history. The longest was a 13-inning affair on May 7, 2009 against the East Carolina at the Conference USA Tournament in El Paso with UTEP coming out on top 4-3. The Miners played 11 innings twice, as the second was on April 7, 2013 at UCF. UTEP and Southern Miss went 10 frames on April 16, 2011, while another 10-inning contest happened on March 20, 2007 against no. 5 Arizona State � an 8-7 Miners� win.
UTEP 1, UTSA 8
The Roadrunners scored five runs the second inning to pull away from the Miners. Crawford connected on her sixth home run of the season, a solo shot and Loughman doubled in a pair of runs in the second.
Loughman gave her squad an 8-0 lead after she hit a three-run home run over right center.
The Miners received a RBI single from Taylor Sargent in the fifth; Brianna Red scored the run in the pinch-run situation for Kiki Pepi, who drew a walk to lead off the inning. It was Sargent�s first RBI since Feb. 25 when she connected on a two-run single at UC Riverside.
The Miners connected on nine hits on the day, led by Courtney Clayton, Cortney Smith and Taylor Sargent who each finished 2-for-4. Sargent tallied her first multi-hit game since March 18 against Middle Tennessee.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
The UTEP softball team, after its eight-game home stand, will take the road again as San Antonio is the next destination point for five games.
UTEP will take on Conference USA West Division foe UTSA on April 1-2 and will follow with a two-game set at Incarnate Word on April 3.
The Miners (8-23, 3-6 C-USA) and the Roadrunners (12-21, 2-7 C-USA) will start their two-game set on Saturday, starting at noon MT/1 p.m. CT, while the series finale is at noon MT on Sunday. The Miners will then play their final nonconference contests, facing the Cardinals (5-26) in a doubleheader starting at noon MT.
UTEP is coming off its first home stand of 2017. The Miners tallied a pair of victories against Middle Tennessee, a 7-6 win on March 18 and a 10-7 triumph on March 19. The Orange and Blue registered a run-rule win over Southern Miss, 12-2 (5), on March 25.
Following the San Antonio road trip, the Miners will return to Helen of Troy to host WKU April 8-9 and will hit the road again at LA Tech on Easter Weekend prior to the bye week (April 22-23).
UTEP is coming off a pair of losses to rival NM State. The Miners fell in game one, 8-4, but did gather up 14 hits in the contest. It was tied for second most hits against the Aggies during their rivalry. UTEP then fell in game two, 13-4 (5).
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. UTSA
UTEP is 7-12 all-times versus UTSA dating back to Feb. 11, 2005, but has won the last two of three contests. Last season, the Miners won the first two contest on April 2, 5-3 and 9-2. Lindsey Sokoloski was the game one hero when the Miners were down. With the score 3-1 in favor of the Roadrunners, Sokoloski came up with a pinch-hit inside-the-park grand slam in the sixth that propelled the Miners to a 5-3 victory. Kaitlin Fifield picked up the win, throwing a complete game with three strikeouts.
In game two, UTEP won the series on a 9-2 victory.Hope Moreno finished 2-for-5 with a career-high five RBI. Moreno surged the Miners to victory when she connected on a three-run home run during a five-run sixth frame. UTSA rebounded to win game three, 10-5. Kiki Pepi went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI in the loss. Prior to the two victories last season, the Miners had lost five in a row and eight of nine contests dating back to Feb. 12, 2010. UTEP defeated UTSA, 7-6, during Tobin Echo-Hawk’s first season (2014).
SCOUTING UTSA
The Roadrunners are coming off a 9-1 (5) loss against Texas on March 29 and have fallen to 12-21 overall on the season. UTSA also came off a sweep at North Texas and is now 2-7 in Conference USA action. The Roadrunners’ two C-USA victories came against UAB on March 17 (6-3, 8-0 [6]). UTSA is hitting .304 to rank third in C-USA.
Rylee Rodriguez (.336 avg.) has provided power, leading UTSA with eight home runs (tied fourth in C-USA) and 33 RBI (tied third in C-USA). Lindsey Stewart leads the team with a .395 batting average (45-114) and ranks tied third in C-USA with 45 hits. Lizzy Fox (9-11) leads the pitching staff in wins, ERA (4.26) and innings (97.0). Nicole Merrill leads the team in strikeouts (44) and walked batters (45) in 84.0 innings. As a team, UTSA ranks second to last in ERA (4.74).
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. INCARNATE WORD
UTEP is 5-1 all-time against Incarnate Word dating back to Feb. 14, 2014 – Tobin Echo-Hawk’s first season. The Miners and Cardinals opened the 2016 campaign with Incarnate Word coming out on top, 4-1, on Feb. 11.
The Miners answered with a game two, 13-3 (5), run-rule victory. Kiki Pepi established her career high with five RBI on a 2-for-4 outing, while Courtney Clayton went 4-for-4 and tying her career best with four RBI. Two days laterin Las Cruces, the Miners clipped the Cardinals again, 5-3, behind a RBI each from Clayton, Danielle Pearsonand Taylor Sargent.
SCOUTING INCARNATE WORD
The Cardinals are currently standing at a 5-26 overall record. One of these wins was over UTSA who the Miners will face in conference play this upcoming weekend. The Cardinals edged their way past the Roadrunners 5-4 in nine innings. Incarnate Word is hitting .228 as a team with senior Danielle Ramirez leading the squad, hitting .400 on 32 hits and three triples.
The Cardinals pitching staff has totaled an ERA of 6.19. Freshman Joanna Valencia has the lowest ERA at 4.87 with two wins and 20 strikeouts.
