ABILENE – UTEP softball's Anna Sample drilled a three-run home run to even the playing field and Peyton Angulo singled in the bottom of the eighth to bring in Rylan Dooner for a 7-6 walk-off victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (2-2). The Miners (3-1) split day two of the Wildcat Invitational, falling to host Abilene Christian (2-2) 8-2 Saturday afternoon. 
  
GAME 2 | UTEP 7, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 6 
The Miners led 3-0 through four innings. Ashlynn Allen's lead-off double in the second frame put her in a good position for UTEP and Ajia Richard followed her lead with a double of her own scoring Allen. Rylan Dooner kept the momentum going with a single to center field sending Richard to the plate for a 2-0 advantage. Peyton Angulo stretched the lead with a solo home run over center field in the bottom of the third.  

Both teams went scoreless in the fourth, but the Islanders closed in on the Miners with an RBI-single and –groundout in the fifth and then A&M-CC handed UTEP bare inning. 

After little action in the sixth, the Islanders headed to the top of the seventh and opened with a trio of hits. Taniece Tyson flied out to deep center to help drive in a run to even the game. Gabriella Torres cleared the bases after blasting a home run to left center as the Islanders led it 6-3. 

UTEP's late effort proved successful as Anna Sample shredded a three-run home run to close the deficit and send the game to extra innings. A&M-CC got one hit off, but the Miners left her stranded in the top of the eighth. In UTEP's last offensive inning, an error from the A&M-CC third baseman placed Dooner at first and Lexi Morales followed from a hit by pitch. Savannah Favre singled to the shortstop to load the bases and Angulo's smooth single to right field walked it off for the 7-6 win. 

UTEP utilized three of its pitchers with sophomore Aalijah Alarcon notching her second win. Mackenzee Collins started things off for the Miners, pitching 6.0 innings with four strikeouts, but gave up two runs. Calderon came in relief in the seventh, but the Islanders went 4-for-4 to take the three-run lead. Alarcon came in for Calderon and retired the final batter to get out of the inning. Alarcon got a strikeout before giving up a hit to the Islanders, but the Miner defense put a stop to A&M-CC's last minute rally attempt. 

Miner Quick Hits   

• Anna Sample: 1-for-3, 3 RBI, HR 

• Peyton Angulo: 4-for-5, 2 RBI, HR 

• Rylan Dooner: 2-for-4, RBI 

• Ajia Richard: RBI, 2B 

• Lexi Morales: 2B 

GAME 1 | ACU 8, UTEP 2 
After three scoreless innings, the Wildcats got the jump on the Miners posting two runs in the bottom of the fourth from a long ball to right field. UTEP reciprocated their efforts with back-to-back scoring-doubles from Morales and Favre.

The sixth frame was all-ACU as the Wildcats pulled out an RBI single to take the one-run lead. With 'Cats on the corners, a hit by pitch loaded the bases and an unfortunate second HBP shifted ACU to double the score, 4-2. Zaylie Calderon was relieved from the circle by Alarcon, but the Wildcats were unfazed by the change up and proceeded to plate four more runners forcing UTEP to revert pitchers. ACU gave up one hit in the top of the seventh to the Miners but shut them down with a game-ending strikeout. 

Miner Quick Hits   

• Savannah Favre: 4-for-4, RBI, 2B 

• Lexi Morales: 2-for-4, RBI, 2B 

  
ON DECK 
The Miners will face off against Murray State (1-3) on Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 12) at 9 a.m. MT to conclude the Wildcat Invitational at Poly Wells Field.  

For complete coverage of UTEP Softball, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @utepsoftball (Instagram) and @UTEPSoftball (Twitter) or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics at UTEPMiners.com.