EL PASO, Texas – The UTEP softball team dropped its series opener to Louisiana Tech, 10-7, despite 11 hits that included two powerful dingers Friday night at Helen of Troy Field.
UTEP has now lost 12 consecutive games in Conference USA action and drops to 11-26, 2-14 in league play.
LA Tech drove in three runs in the second inning, with Jordyn Manning, Bailey Wright, and Sierra Sacco taking credit for the RBIs, but gave up a home run in the bottom half to UTEP’s Ajia Richard.
An RBI single in the third by Carol Easom put the Techsters ahead; however, a sacrifice RBI by Savannah Favre and a two-run homer by Caitlyn Brockway knotted the game, 4-4.
The Techsters continued to pull ahead as Kylie Neel smashed a three-run long ball in the fourth inning to extend LA Tech’s lead to 7-4.
LA Tech’s Manning slapped another run on the board with a solo round-tripper in the top of the fifth.
Kate Cooper followed with a 2-shot bomb in the top sixth to lift the Techsters into double digits. Karina Somoza and Ashlynn Allen hit back-to-back singles in the sixth. Richard smacked a double to right center to plate Jordyn Lopez and Allen and crossed the dish on a standup double by Amaya Lee to shrink the deficit, 10-7.
Game two of the three-game series is set for Saturday, April 22 at 3 p.m. MT.
