EL PASO — Jade Smith extended her hitting streak to 13 games, but UTEP swept Saturday’s Conference USA doubleheader against visiting UTSA by scores of 5-3 and 9-2 at Helen of Troy Field.
Tess Soefje and Kaley Pyles each posted season highs with three hits in the opener for the Roadrunners (12-22, 6-5 C-USA) and the duo combined for eight hits on the day. Smith entered the afternoon with an 11-game streak and recorded a hit in each contest.
In the opener, UTSA jumped ahead with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning. Chelsea Thomas and Angelica Niño opened the frame with singles and Thomas touched home on Soefje’s RBI hit up the middle. With two outs, Smith plated the second run with an infield single for the 2-0 lead.
UTSA left the bases loaded in the inning and the visitors stranded two more after having a runner thrown out at home in the third.
Pyles came up with a two-out RBI single through the left side in the top of the fourth to extend the lead to 3-0, but the Miners (17-20, 8-3 C-USA) ended the shutout with a run in the bottom of the fifth.
In the sixth, UTEP completed the comeback and the home squad took its first lead of the game thanks to a pinch-hit, inside-the-park grand slam from Lindsey Sokoloski.
The Roadrunners brought the tying run to the plate, but pitcher Kaitlin Fifield got the final outs to preserve the 5-3 win.
UTSA again claimed an early lead in game two by scoring two runs with two outs. Pyles drove a solo homer over the wall in right field and Soefje brought home her second run of the day with an RBI single for a 2-0 cushion.
However, the Miners got those runs back on a two-run double by Hope Moreno in the bottom of the inning. UTEP took a 4-2 lead with runs in the second and third before putting the game out of reach with a five-run bottom of the sixth.
In all, seven of the Miners’ nine runs came with two outs and the home squad closed out the 9-2 win with a scoreless top of the seventh.
The teams will wrap up the series with a 12:30 p.m. (CT) contest on Sunday.