March 21, 2009
Final Stats
UTEP vs. Houston Game 1 
UTEP vs. Houston Game 2
EL PASO, Texas -The Miners staged a thrilling eight-inning comeback in the opening game of a doubleheader series against Houston to win 7-6, but fell 17-9 in the nightcap on Saturday at Helen of Troy Field. The Miners move to 14-16 overall and 3-5 in Conference USA play.
Jennifer Davis, Stacie Townsend and Diana Parada each went yard in the outing, bringing the Miners' home run total to 38 for 2009. Parada's long ball was the first of her career in just her eighth collegiate at bat.
Both teams came out swinging, as the two combined for 44 hits and 39 runs in the twinbill. UTEP came out ahead in the first game, connecting nine times to Houston's eight, but the Cougars were on top in Game 2, belting 15 hits to the Miners' 12, including two grand slam home runs.
Chelsea Troupe ended the day going 5-for-7 (.714), and posted a team-high three doubles, while scoring twice and knocking in three RBIs.
Stacie Townsend, who started in the circle for UTEP, struck out four batters and scattered five hits and gave up six runs (two earned).
Townsend was most effective at the plate, belting five hits with a team-high six RBIs. She hit her sixth career long ball and scored three times.
Kelly Curran (6-5) received the win and the loss in the twinbill. The junior pitcher came in relief for the win in the day's opener but gave up 14 runs in the nightcap to get the loss.
UTEP was first on the board in the day's opener with a homerun belt by Townsend in the bottom of the first inning.
The Cougars made use of a UTEP two-out error in the top of the third scoring four unearned runs in the stanza. The error, which put Jessica Valis at first, started a rally for Houston that included two two-run doubles by Houston's Elaina Nordstrom and Laurie Wagner. The Cougars added a pair of runs in the next frame to bring the score to 6-1.
The Miners added one run off a single in the bottom of the fifth but it was the bottom of the seventh inning that the Miners were able to bounce back and send the game into extra innings for the win.
The rally started with a one out single by Camilla Carrera and followed with a walk by Townsend. Troupe, who was 2-for-2 (both doubles) with one run and one RBI, knocked the ball into the right-center gap, plating Carrera.
A strikeout later, Davis smashed the ball over centerfield, driving home Townsend and Troupe, that lifted the Miners to tie at 6-6.
Houston opened the top of the eighth with a walk and connected for two hits to load the bases, but the Miners were able to hold the Cougars scoreless.
UTEP, looking for the comeback, opened with a strikeout. Carrera followed with a double that at first appearance looked like it was headed over the centerfield fence but hit the wall. Townsend followed with a two-base belt of her own, scoring Carrera for the 7-6 victory.
Houston was quick to answer back in the nightcap, scoring four runs on five hits to open with a 4-0 lead in the top of the first.
They added another two runs in the second inning and four in the third, including a grand slam by Nordstrom.
UTEP was able to score in the bottom of the third stanza off an RBI-single by Davis and added three more in the bottom of the fourth including a two-run double by Troupe.
Trailing 10-4 in the bottom of the sixth, the Miners scored a pair of runs, including Parada's first career long ball.
But the Cougars came up big in the top of the seventh scoring seven runs, including another base clearing homer by Ballie Lott.
UTEP, looking for its second comeback of the night, opened the bottom of the frame with a lineout to short. Parada and Carrera walked and the pair came home of a Townsend double.
An out later, Ashley Ellis worked reliever Lindsey Olsen for the third free pass of the inning and Stalter knocked an RBI-single up the middle, driving in Troupe. But a groundout to the pitcher ended UTEP's run, as the Miners fell 17-9.
The series concludes with a single game Sunday at Noon. UTEP will hit the road for a week-and-half stretch. The Miners will take a break from conference play as they head east to take on UT-San Antonio on Tuesday and Texas State on Wednesday.
They resume conference action for a three-game road series at UAB and continue with a three game road trip to Tennessee to face Tennessee Tech and the Lady Vols.
The Miners return home on April 10th and 11th to play East Carolina in a three game home stand.
