April 3, 2010
Final Stats
UTEP vs. Southern Miss Box Score 
EL PASO, Texas - Stacie Townsend laced her ninth home run of the season, a grand slam, as UTEP defeated Southern Miss, 8-3, to sweep the series on Saturday at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex.
The Miners, who remain undefeated at home (13-0), move to 26-12, 8-4 in Conference USA. The Golden Eagles fall to 14-17, 0-9 in league action.
The sweep marks just the first time in the history of the program the Miners have taken a conference slate twice in a season. UTEP won a three-game set at home against Marshall, early in the campaign.
Townsend improved to 22-7 with the win. She posted eight K’s in the game, totaling 249 this campaign, to break the season standard for strikeouts.
A senior from Orlando, Fla., Townsend was 2-for-3 at the plate, including her grand slam in the fourth inning to collect four RBIs. It was just her second base clearing homer of her career. The first came against New Mexico State on Feb. 15.
She finished the weekend hitting .750 (6-for-8) with five runs, and four RBI while picking up all three victories in the sweep. In 18.0 innings of play, Townsend recorded 31 K’s while allowing just six earned runs.
The first run of the game was a solo home run by Kia Moore in the third inning. The long ball, which was the first of the freshman’s career, looked to be a long triple, but cleared the right field wall by about a foot.
UTEP continued its scoring rally in the next frame. With one out on the board, Courtney Ware walked to first. Jessica Villanueva was hit by a pitch on the elbow and Kayla Oranger singled into right to load the bases.
Kelynn Frye belted a hit to the shortstop that took a hard bounce and landed in the outfield, driving Ware home for the RBI. Moore drove in UTEP’s third run of the game, after drawing a bases loaded walk from USM’s Gabby Luciani (5-7).
Beth Dietrich, who came in relief, looked to get the job done, recording a strikeout. But Townsend came to the plate.
Behind 0-1 on the count, Townsend belted the ball over left-centerfield, clearing the bases. An out later, the inning was over, but not before the Miners took a 7-0 lead.
Looking for an answer, Southern Miss opened the fifth frame with the top of the order. And it delivered.
Leslie Lejune laced a single to the right side. Britney Dinelt doubled into the left-center gap plating Lejune.
Megan Hill hit a ground ball up the middle that ricocheted off of UTEP’s Ashley Ellis allowing Dinelt to score. An out later, the designated player, Roosmalen singled to third base.
An out later, and with Hill on third, Christin Roosemalen knocked a short single to third. Danielle LaPointe hit a short single to the circle, and Townsend threw home to stop Hill from scoring.
Chanell Thurman stepped to the plate and hit the ball to third, and in an attempt to ground out, UTEP’s Ashley Collazo overthrew first base, plating Roosemalen.
Townsend ended the threat, retiring the side with a strikeout, but not before USM scored three runs.
UTEP collected its final run of the game off a sacrifice fly by Moore, and Townsend, being “Stacie Townsend”, struck out the final three batters in the seventh inning for the win.
The Miners embark on a tough road swing with no. 2 Arizona in a twinbill on Wednesday and a three-game road series against C-USA leader East Carolina next weekend.
