CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The UTEP softball team bounced back from an 8-0 loss to Drake to defeat North Dakota, 8-5, in the Miners final game at the 2011 Ramada UNI-Dome Classic on Sunday afternoon in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
“We are working out our weaknesses and getting used to each other,” co-head coach James Rodriguez said. “We experimented with the lineup and batting order during this tournament. Our goal is to get better in each game we play and I think we did that today.”
Freshman pitcher Laura Ramos kept Drake off the scoreboard through three innings before giving up a pair of runs off of Jenna DeLong’s homerun. The UTEP defense responded ending the inning in the next two at bats. The Miners were unable to put up a run in the top of the fifth, the Bulldogs scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth ending the game a 8-0.
The Miners got right back on the field with senior pitcher Courtney Auger in the circle against North Dakota. With two outs in the bottom of the first, Cami Carrera blasted a single to centerfield. Junior Chelsea Troupe took the walk and Kaileigh Walts lit up the scoreboard with a three-run homerun to left field. Junior Ashley Collazo singled up the middle to begin the second stance. A wild pitch moved Collazo the second, she reached third on a stolen base and got home on an error by North Dakota’s third baseman. Another Sioux error put Samantha Alvillar and a Carrera walk forced a pitching change for North Dakota. Troupe loaded up the bases and the Miners added another run on Walts single to left field. The Miners added two runs before ending the inning at 7-0.
North Dakota mounted a rally in the fourth inning cutting the Miner lead by five. The Fighting Sioux scored twice more in the fifth before Auger was relieved by Joanna Krienitz. Krienitz struck out the next batter and Maggie O’Neal grounded out to end the inning. The sophomore pitcher allowed one more run in the sixth, but the North Dakota hitters went down one-two-three in the top of the fifth to give UTEP the 8-5 victory.
Walts finished the game with two hits, four RBIs and one run, Troupe and Carrera each scored two runs. Auger improved to 2-1 for the season allowing four runs off of four hits.
UTEP returns home for a three-game series against Houston Baptist. The Miners will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 3 p.m. and play the third game on Sunday at 11 a.m.
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