UTEP softball ends 2023 season with 6-5 loss to FIU

Photo Couresy: UTEP Athletics

by: Sam Guzman, UTEP Athletics

Posted: May 7, 2023 / 04:54 PM MDT

Updated: May 7, 2023 / 04:54 PM MDT

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – UTEP softball ended its 2023 season with a 6-5 loss to Florida International at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex on Sunday.

It marked the Miners 12th straight loss, and the end of a season the program can’t wait to put behind them. UTEP finished the season with a 11-34 overall record and 2-22 record in Conference USA play. That led to UTEP being in last place in the conference standings and missing out on the C-USA Softball Tournament.

After two quiet innings, FIU’s Isabella Perez and Ashton Lansdell earned back-to-back walks in the top of the third. Ella Whitney came up to the plate and connected on her first pitch for a 3-run home run over right center field.

The Miners answered with four runs of their own in the bottom third. UTEP led off with three consecutive singles by Rylan Dooner, Lexi Morales, and Karina Somoza (bunt). Savannah Favre hit into a double play, but Caitlyn Brockway earned her second intentional walk of the game—her third on the weekend—to keep the bases loaded. Peyton Angulo put UTEP’s first runs on the board with a 2-RBI single, and Ashlynn Allen followed with a 2-RBI double down the left field line to give UTEP the 4-3 lead.

UTEP extended the lead to 5-3 in the fourth on another bases-loaded situation. Dooner and Morales reached safely again, and Favre drew a walk to bring Brockway back up to the plate. FIU strayed away from an intentional walk but ended up giving Brockway a base on a hit-by-pitch.

In the top of the fifth, FIU’s Frankie Izard and Isabella Perez had back-to-back singles just before Madison Lewis hammered out another 3-run bomb to flip the lead back over to FIU.

FIU gave up one hit and recorded an error in UTEP’s last offensive inning before taking the series sweep, 6-5.

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