UTEP softball falls to Northern Colorado and NM State

by: UTEP Athletics

Posted: Mar 4, 2023 / 10:32 PM MST

Updated: Mar 4, 2023 / 10:32 PM MST

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Home runs were the name of the game today. UTEP fell in both games on day one of NM State’s Round Robin on a sunny Saturday afternoon at NM State Softball Field. The Miners (8-10) outhit the Bears 11-7, but the extra inning comeback fell short as Northern Colorado won the game, 7-6, with a walk-off home run in the eighth. In the 51st Battle of I-10, NM State’s four home runs lifted the squad to a 12-3 [5] run-rule victory over UTEP.

Game 1 | Northern Colorado 7, UTEP 6
Northern Colorado took a 2-0 lead after three innings. Anna Sample crushed a home run to right center to score Peyton Angulo who earned a walk to lead off the fourth inning for the Miners. At two-all, the Bears hit two solo home runs in the next frame to lead 4-2.

Once again, Sample tied the game at 4-4 with another two-run home run to over center field to score Ajia Richard who singled up the middle earlier in the sixth inning.

A scoreless seventh inning pushed for bonus softball. With Autumn Scott placed at second, Rylan Dooner didn’t waste any time as she blasted a home run on the first pitch to lift the Miners, 6-4. The Bears almost replicated Dooner’s actions, but the drive was just inches short of a home run for an RBI-double to cut the deficit down to 6-5. Next batter up for the Bears hit the last home run of the game for a 7-6 walk-off victory.

Miner Quick Hits

Anna Sample: 2-for-4, 4RBI, 2 HR
Rylan Dooner: 2-for-4, 2RBI, HR, 2B
Lexi Morales: 3-for-5, 2B
Savannah Favre: 2-for-5
Ajia Richard: 1-for-1
Pate Cathey: 1-for-3

Game 2 | NM State 12, UTEP 3
NM State took a 12-0 lead in four innings. The Aggies got the jump on the Miners with a two-RBI home run in the first inning. NM State added eight more runs in the third from three multi-RBI home runs and an RBI-double to take a 10-0 lead. With two outs in the fourth, a two-RBI double lifted the Aggies to 12-0.

The Miners got on the board in the top of the fifth. Ashlynn Allen crossed the dish on Lexi Morales’ double to right center field and then Morales scored courtesy of Savannah Favre’s homerun over field and into the trees. The Aggies held off the Miners for the remainder of the inning to secure the 12-3 run-rule win.

Miner Quick Hits