March 12, 2008
Final Stats
UTEP vs. NMSU Game 1 
UTEP vs. NMSU Game 2
EL PASO, Texas - The UTEP softball team continued to make history on Wednesday, as the Miners swept New Mexico State, 3-0 and 6-5, at Helen of Troy Field. The sweep marked just the second time in school history the Miners have won a doubleheader series. UTEP won the twin bill on March 15, 2006.
With the wins, the Miners improve to 19-6 overall, the best start in the team's history. The Aggies fell to 13-17.
Stacie Townsend (8-4) secured her third complete game shutout of the season as she helped lead the Miners in Game 1. The sophomore fanned eight batters in the outing while allowing eight hits.
Townsend was also the Miners' big hitter, batting .429 with three runs on three hits and two long balls for four RBI.
Nichole Tunget moved to 6-1 with the Game 2 win. Tunget started the game but was pulled after two-thirds of the first inning.
Kelly Curran tossed 3.1 innings of play and struck out seven batters, but allowed four runs on four hits. Tunget returned to strikeout eight for the win.
Townsend's two-run homer gave the Miners a 2-0 advantage in Game 1.
The Aggies had a bases loaded opportunity in the top of the third but were unable to convert.
UTEP's final run came off a sacrifice fly by Jennifer Stalter who plated Ashley Perez.
The two teams made it a thriller in the nightcap, as back-and-forth scoring took the game into nine innings of play.
The second game opened with an Aggie error that put Camilla Carrera on first base. A batter later, Townsend stepped to the plate and belted her second home run of the evening, her fourth this season, to give the Miners the 2-0 lead.
The Aggies scored four runs in the top of the fourth after three back-to-back singles and two UTEP errors allowed for the scoring drive.
The Miners answered back with one run in the bottom of the frame off an RBI-double by Rachel Schaeffer.
UTEP followed with a two-run fifth stanza that included a throwing error by the Aggies and an RBI-double by Ashley Ellis to take a 5-4 lead.
NMSU was able to the game in the top of the seventh after an error by the Miners scored a run to tie the game at five.
The Aggies came close scoring in the top of the eighth, with a runner on third, but a ground out to the shortstop kept the Miners alive.
After a scoreless eighth, Townsend connected for a single to start the bottom of the ninth. With two outs on the board, Perez slammed the ball into deep centerfield plating Townsend for the 6-5 final.
The Miners resume conference action when they head to Tulsa for a three-game series on March 15 and 16. They return home on Tues., March 18 to face the defending NCAA champions Arizona. First pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m.
