March 28, 2009
Final Stats
UTEP vs. UAB Game 1 
UTEP vs. UAB Game 2
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Camilla Carrera laced a grand slam home run in UTEP's series opener at UAB on Saturday at George Ward Park. The Miners won the first game, 7-3, but felt short in the nightcap, falling to the Blazers 9-4. The Miner are 19-17 overall and 5-6 in Conference USA action.
Carrera's homer was the eighth long ball of the season for the sophomore and UTEP's second base clearing homer of 2009. She finished 4-for-7 with one run, four RBIs and belted a game-high three doubles.
Stacie Townsend, who was the winning pitcher and improved to 11-10 on the season, hit a dinger in the second game to bring the Miners' season total to 44. UTEP needs just 13 home runs to tie the season record of 57 set in 2006.
In the circle, Townsend produced another stellar performance despite allowing three runs. The junior fanned eight batters, scattered six hits and gave up just two earned runs in over seven innings of work.
Kelly Curran (7-6) received the nightcap loss, lasting just three and two thirds innings. She allowed six runs on six hits, walked two and struck out one batter.
The Miners found themselves chasing a 2-0 deficit in the first game, as the Blazers utilized a UTEP error to get on the board and followed with an RBI single in the bottom of the third.
UTEP found its bats in the fourth frame, as the Miners scored all seven runs in the stanza.
The run started with Amber Bennett reaching on a UAB error. Ashley Ellis singled to the left field gap and Becky Smith drew a walk to load the bases.
Lodes lined a single to right field, driving in Bennett for the Miners' first run. The Miners tied at two when Courtney Ware drew a bases loaded walk for the RBI. Jennifer Davis knocked the ball to left field scoring UTEP's third run setting up Carrera for the base clearing homer to cap of the run.
Looking for the seventh inning comeback, UAB's Cameron Skates hit a home run down the left field line to pull the Blazers within four runs at 7-3. That was all the Blazers would muster as Townsend and the Miners put away the final three batters for the win.
The Orange and Blue belted eight hits to the Blazers' five runs and committed two errors. Carrera ended with a 2-for-4 showing while Lodes was 3-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
The Miners found themselves chasing a lead again in the second game, as the Blazers scored three runs in the first and second innings as they took a 6-0 head start after two innings of play.
Townsend put the Miners on the board in the third, blasting a two run dinger just right of the left field foul pole. Bennett scored on the homer after getting to base on a single.
The Miners added a pair of runs in the next frame as Ellis sent a groundball to left field. Two outs later, Diana Parada worked UAB's Lindsey Croft for a free pass to first and Jennifer Stalter laced a single driving home Ellis.
Carrera walked, loading the bases and Bennett drew another walk, sending Parada home for the RBI.
The Blazers answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning off a two-run RBI single by UAB's Caley Walden and scored their final run in the bottom of the sixth with a base hit up the middle driving home the final run of the game as the Blazers pulled away with the 9-4 victory.
The two teams conclude the series in a single game at 1 p.m. CDT Sunday. The Miners will then head to Tennessee for a doubleheader with Tennessee Tech on Tuesday and a single game at Tennessee Wednesday.
