EL PASO – UTEP softball (7-6) won its third straight game in a 5-2 victory over Tarleton State (11-6) that was highlighted by a four-run drive in the second inning. The Miners then faced Creighton (5-8), who put up eight runs in the first two innings of its 10-2 run-rule win.
G1: Zaylie Calderon (3-2) picked up her third complete-game win. She pitched for 7.0 innings, and through 31 batters, 60% of the pitches she threw were strikeouts.
G2: UTEP utilized four pitchers—three in two innings—with Kaylee Hewitt (1-1) as the Miners' starting pitcher. Aalijah Alarcon came in relief for Hewitt in the third but checked out I the second as Breanna Ford entered the circle. Ford walked four batters but didn't allow any runs. Kendall Angulo made her UTEP debut as she entered the circle in the fifth to close out the game.
GAME 1 | UTEP 5, Tarleton State 6
Tarleton might have landed on the board first, but UTEP slapped four runs in the second to gain and hold the lead. The Texans took a first inning frame 1-0 lead after the first three batters reached base. After back-to-back outs, Tarleton's Tristyn Trull singled to score Morgan Medford, putting the Texans up right away.
In the second frame, Tarleton's starting pitcher walked Ashlynn Allen, who eventually swiped second during Caitlyn Brockway's at-bat. Rylan Dooner tripled to left center to knot the game at 1-1. Pate Cathey's round tripper cleared Dooner, and Savannah Favre followed two at bats later to lift the Miners up 4-1.
Both pitchers rolled through the next three innings, and Trull's solo shot to left field cut the deficit in half, 4-2, in the sixth. Lexi Morales' sac-fly plated pinch runner Autumn Scott for Dooner after her lead-off double. UTEP avoided trouble despite two seventh-inning singles by the Texans to win by three, 5-2.
Miner Quick Hits
GAME 2 | Creighton 10, UTEP 2
Creighton jumped out to a 8-0 lead after two innings. The Bluejays scored five runs on four hits in the first to take a 5-0 advantage and knocked out another three in the second. The Miners cut the deficit to six in the bottom of the fourth as Peyton Angulo hit a double to left center. A single by Idalis Mendez places runners on the corners before Allen lined an RBI double to right, scoring Angulo for UTEP's first run of the game. Following a pitching change, Dooner delivered a sac-fly to right, cutting the deficit to 8-2.
Crieghton cashed in the run-rule win in the top of the sixth as Ensley Frame singled to left, followed by a double to left by Kayla Neilson. Both would come around to score on a single to right by West.
Miner Quick Hits
ON DECK
The Miners close out the UTEP Invitational on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 12 p.m. MT when they take on #4 Oklahoma State.
For complete coverage of UTEP Softball, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @utepsoftball (Instagram/Twitter) or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics at UTEPMiners.com.
