EL PASO, TEXAS - The UTSA softball team dropped a doubleheader with the UTEP Miners on Friday. The Roadrunners fell in the first game 5-4 in a nine-inning series opener and 8-5 in the second game. The Conference USA foes conclude the series tomorrow in a single game beginning a 1 p.m. CT.
UTEP 5, UTSA 4 (9 innings)
UTSA scratched the board first in the opening frame when junior Bailee Baldwin hammered out an RBI sacrifice fly that allowed sophomore Celeste Loughman to score.
Leading 1-0, the Roadrunners maintained their advantage until the Miners answered with two runs off a home run and a triple in the bottom of the fifth.
A fielding error by UTEP's shortstop in the sixth inning helped UTSA tie the game at two. With neither team adding any runs in the seventh frame, the game was sent into extra innings.
UTSA broke the tie with two more runs in the top of the ninth, but UTEP battled back with a three-run homer to claim the victory, 5-4.
UTEP 8, UTSA 5
Despite the 8-5 conference loss to UTEP, freshman Celeste Borza had a career day, leading the Roadrunners offensively with two hits and two RBI in four at bats
Much like the first game, UTSA took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI sacrifice fly, this time from Victoria Villarreal. With two runners on and one out, the freshman dished out a hit to left field to plate Loughman.
The Miners responded with two runs on three hits in the bottom of the first inning and cushioned their lead with a third run in the bottom of the second.
UTSA used a home run over the right center fence from Baldwin to come within one in the third frame, but UTEP wasted no time responding, plating four runs for a 7-2 advantage in the bottom of the fourth. The Miners cushioned their lead with an eighth run in the bottom of the sixth.
Trailing 8-2, a pair of RBI singles from Borza helped cut UTSA's deficit to three by the seventh inning, but that was as close as the Roadrunners would get in second game of the series.
