Feb. 13, 2015
Final Stats
UTEP 8, Portland State 5 
UTEP 4, Indiana 1
2015 Softball Stats
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - The UTEP softball team played six bad innings followed by eight great frames at the Wilson/DeMarini Desert Classic hosted by UNLV on Friday.
The Miners (2-5) rallied to defeat Portland State, 8-5, during game one, while jumping on Indiana early and notching a 4-1 victory in game two. The two wins were the first in program history versus the respective schools.
UTEP's win over Indiana was its first over a Big 10 school since defeating Wisconsin, 9-2, on Feb. 25, 2007. The victories were also the first in Sin City since defeating San Jose State, 4-3, at the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic on Feb. 16, 2008.
UTEP 8, Portland State 5
Portland State scored two runs apiece the first two innings and built the lead to 5-0 in the sixth inning when Brit Hendrickson hit a solo shot over left field.
But the Miners would overcome the deficit by hitting it big during an eight-run, seventh inning to sink the Vikings.
"It was a great way to finish the game," second-year head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk said. "The great thing is you saw fight and determination. The thing we always talk about is never giving up and being that scrappy team. We definitely did that in the seventh inning. It was just a matter of us making the adjustments a little bit quicker to make things a little easier for ourselves."
Las Vegas native Ashley Eldridge commenced the magical frame with a double to center field, followed by Kaitlin Ryder getting on base on an error. A groundout would advance Ryder, while Summer Palipti also reached on an error that plated Eldridge for UTEP's first run.
Tahla Wade singled up the middle, scoring Ryder. A Kiki Pepi walk advanced Wade to second base, setting up an epic Courtney Clayton at bat. The freshman sprayed multiple pitches before singling to right field, scoring Palipti and cutting the deficit to 5-3.
With Pepi at second base and Wade at third, Kawehiokalani Netane singled to third base that brought Wade across the dish, while Pepi was out at third on an unassisted play. With two outs, down 5-4, and Clayton at second and Netane at first, Taylor Sargent kept the inning going with an RBI single to left center, scoring Clayton to tie the contest 5-5.
Eldridge, in her second at bat during the inning, reached base on another Vikings' error to load the bases. The Miners took a 6-5 lead when Ryder was hit by a pitch that scored Netane. Erica Chasco came in to pinch hit, singling to left field that plated Sargent (7-5). Palipti too was hit by a pinch in her at bat that gave the Miners an 8-5 lead, and momentum to close out the game. A pop out to second ended the inning, but set up the eventual victory.
Danielle Pearson, who entered the game in the third inning and the team down 4-0, forced a fly out to left, a ground out to third, and with one on from a walk, a fly out to left field. Pearson earned her first win of the season, pitching 5.0 strong innings and only allowing two hits.
"(Pearson) did a great job, coming in that situation where we're already down 4-0," Echo-Hawk said. "It's hard for a pitcher to really tighten things up. She did a really nice job of keeping (Portland State) off balance and hitting her spots especially against some of their better hitters. She did a great job of just shutting down."
Pepi finished 2-for-3, while Sargent was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Wade went 2-for-5 with a run scored, an RBI and her third stolen base of the season.
UTEP 4, Indiana 1
Momentum carried over to the second game of the day, as the Miners jumped on the Hoosiers to take the early advantage during the second inning.
"This was a whole team win against a good team," Echo-Hawk said.
Netane singled to right field and advanced to second base on a throw. Eldridge recorded an RBI single up the middle, scoring Netane. Ryder singled through the left side and Palipti reached first on a hit to the shortstop that set up freshman Hope Moreno. The freshman recorded her first collegiate hit against Portland State earlier in the day, but came up huge with a two-run single to center field, as she recorded her first collegiate RBI. Moreno finished 3-for-3 with two RBI in her first ever start.
But the story of the evening was sophomore Kaitlin Fifield. The native of El Paso pitched her first collegiate complete game to earn her first win of 2015. The offense helped the pitching cause by adding another run in the fifth inning - another Eldridge RBI on a double to left field.
"Kaitlin did an amazing job tonight, setting the tone and getting the outs we needed," Echo-Hawk said. "It was great to see her have an outing like that. It also helps her out that we were able to put some runs on the board for her. It always takes some of the pressure off when you have a lead."
Though Fifield loaded the bases in the top of the sixth inning, she struck out Mena Fulton on a screwball with two outs to end the frame. Fifield pitched 7.0 innings, striking out three batters and only allowing five hits.
With two outs and runners at second and third, Kelsey Dotson singled to Clayton at short, scoring Taylor Uden, but Shannon Cawley, who reached on a fielding miscue earlier in the inning, made an attempt to cross the dish, but was thrown out on a heads up play by Clayton to end the game.
Netane went 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Eldridge was a perfect 3-for-3, two RBI, a double and a run scored.
Up Next
The Miners will take on BYU (10 a.m. MT) at Eller Media Softball Stadium (UNLV), followed with a match up versus Nevada (2:30 p.m.) at Stephanie Lynn Craig Park on Valentine's Day.
