March 18, 2008
Final Stats
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UTEP vs. No. 7 Arizona Game 1 
UTEP vs. No. 7 Arizona Game 2
EL PASO, Texas - The UTEP softball team stunned the two-time defending national champions, No. 7 Arizona, 9-6, to open the doubleheader series on Tuesday. The Miners fell in the nightcap, 8-2. UTEP moves to 20-10 on the season.
Stacie Townsend received her third career win over a ranked opponent with the Game 1 win and improves to 9-5 on the season. The sophomore gave up six runs on nine hits and struck out seven batters in the outing. She defeated Arizona State twice last season.
Arizona's Taryne Mowatt dropped the first game but redeemed herself in the second to move to 7-5. She fanned 12 batters in the second game to combine for 15 on the day.
UTEP was able to connect 15 times against one of the nation's top defenses.
Ashley Ellis was able to get off three hits for three RBI and hit a double while scoring one run. Also affective for UTEP was Simone Holland who knocked her fifth long ball the season. She also contributed three RBI for the Miners while scoring once.
Ellis' double in the bottom of the third inning began UTEP's offensive attack in Game 1. UTEP loaded the bases two walks later, and scored their first run after Mowatt's pitch got away, hitting Amber Bennett for the RBI.
With the bases still loaded, Holland singled straight up the middle, plating Andi Zolton. Shea Lodes knocked a double into the left-center gap good for two runs for the 4-0 UTEP lead.
The Miners batted the order, bringing Ellis back up to the plate. With two outs on the board and runners in scoring position, Ellis hit the ball into leftfield plating Lodes giving the Miners the 5-0 lead heading into the fourth inning.
UTEP continued its scoring rally in the bottom of the fourth. Holland's two-run homer and a two-run single by Ellis gave the Miners a 9-0 advantage.
An error by the Miners and a three-run homer put the Wildcats on the board in the top of the fifth.
Arizona continued with five hits in the next stanza and the Miners committed their second error of the game, allowing the Wildcats to put three more runs on the board.
The Miners were able put away Arizona in the top of the seventh for the 9-6 stunning victory.
UTEP was not as fortunate in the final game of the twinbill, as Arizona answered back with five runs in the top of the first.
Mowatt retired 11-straight UTEP batters, but a walk by Townsend broke up the perfect game.
The Miners' defense tripped, as UTEP utilized three hurlers and committed five errors in the outing, including two blunders in the top of the seventh for the 8-0 lead by Arizona.
After a strikeout opened UTEP's final stanza, Ashley Perez singled up the middle. A strikeout later, Davis sailed the ball over the leftfield wall for two-runs, giving the Miners hope.
With two outs on the board, Bennett grounded out to shortstop, deflating any hopes of a comeback.
The Miners resume conference play on Friday as they face Marshall in a three-game home tilt. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. The series concludes Saturday at noon.
