March 9, 2008

IRVING, Texas - UTEP swept its first conference series in school history as it defeated UAB, 10-2, in five innings of work on Sunday. The Miners won both ends of a doubleheader Saturday. UTEP improves to 17-6 and a flawless 3-0 to open Conference USA play. The undefeated start is the best in school history. Since the 2004 inaugural season, the Miners had won just four conference series and the win on Sunday made it five.

Snow continued to delay the start of the Memphis/Marshall softball series. Sunday's scheduled doubleheader has been postponed until Monday at the Tiger Softball Complex on the U of M's Park Avenue Campus with games set for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The final contest of the initial three-game series has been canceled

UCF 10, East Carolina 6
East Carolina, UCF 1
East Carolina 6, UCF (15 inn.)
UCF scored four runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to come from behind to down Conference USA foe East Carolina, 10-6, Sunday afternoon at the UCF Softball Complex. Six different players posted at least two hits in the contest, with Hillary Barrow, Ashleigh Cole and Lindsay Dean all recording three RBI.

Barrow's sacrifice fly in the third inning was her third this season and sixth of her career, giving her sole possession of second place all-time in program history. The sophomore needs only two more to claim sole possession of first place.

Cole picked up the win in the circle for the Knights to move her record to 6-5 on the season and 1-1 in C-USA action. With the victory over the Pirates, UCF moves to 15-12 on the season and 1-2 in league play, while the Pirates are 18-6 overall and 2-1 in C-USA.

Senior hurler Allison Kime pitched all 15 innings of the Knights' 6-2 loss to East Carolina Saturday afternoon, setting a new Conference USA record for innings pitched in a game. The most frames pitched prior to the 15-inning marathon were in 2000, when Southern Miss' Courtney Blades threw 13 innings against LSU. The UCF softball team dropped both games of the doubleheader with the Pirates at the UCF Softball Complex, falling 2-1 in the nightcap.

The 15-inning game tied the C-USA record for the most innings played overall all-time and all-time for a conference game, while Kime also captured the record for most innings pitched in a C-USA league game.

ECU's Toni Paisley earned the win in both games of the doubleheader.

The Pirates head to Athens, Ga. on Tuesday and Wednesday as they participate in the Bulldog Classic, hosted by the University of Georgia. East Carolina will face North Florida and Georgia twice each. The Pirates open the Classic against the Ospreys at 2 p.m. Tuesday.

The Knights continue their seven-game home stand Tuesday when they host Sam Houston State in a doubleheader at the UCF Softball Complex, with game one schedule to get underway at 1 p.m.

Southern Miss 4, Tulsa 3
Tulsa 12, Southern Miss 0 (5 inn.)
Tulsa 9, Southern Miss 6
An errant throw allowed Megan Hill to score the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh as Southern Miss defeated Tulsa 4-3 in the final game of a three-game Conference USA series Sunday at the USM Softball Complex.

The win was the fifth victory for Southern Miss (12-12 overall, 1-2 C-USA) in seven games at home during the campaign.

TU (11-11, 2-1) tied the game with a pair of runs in the third. Stephanie Chomicki scored the Golden Hurricane's first run on a wild pitch, while Vanessa Vice tied the game with a run-scoring single.

Jennifer Fox then plated Alonzo with a single in the fifth to retake the lead for the Lady Eagles, but TU tied the game in the top of the seventh on a single by Dyer.

Golden Hurricane reliever Jackie Lawrence (5-5) suffered the loss by allowing an unearned run over a third of an inning on a hit.

Lindsey Tower drove in six runs in a doubleheader which included a two-run, go-ahead home run in the seventh inning of the opening game in leading Tulsa to a 9-6 and 12-0 (five innings) wins over Southern Miss in the Conference USA season opener for both teams here Saturday.

The Golden Hurricane jumped out to an early 6-0 lead in the opening game, after scoring two runs in the second inning and four more runs in the third.

Southern Miss, though, tied the game in the fifth with six runs of its own. Brandi Alonzo and Ashlyn Harmon each started the frame with a single before Allison Bullard walked to load the bases. A run-scoring single to short-leftfield scored Alonzo for the Lady Eagles' first run.

Megan Hill then cleared the bases with a double to leftfield to cut the gap to 6-4. Jennifer Fox and Lauren Castellvi then each added RBI singles for Southern Miss to tie the score heading into the final inning. Fox became the school's all-time RBI leader with that single with 112, surpassing Kenya Peters (1999-2002).

Katie Lee (2-4) got the win for TU in relief by limiting Southern Miss to three hits, while striking a batter out over the final two innings. Meghan Harbuck, who threw the last five innings for Southern Miss, allowed four runs on 10 hits and two walks with no strikeouts to suffer the loss and fall to 2-3.

In the nightcap, Jordan Kinnard (3-2) threw a five-inning, no-hitter against the Lady Eagles to get the victory. Kinnard allowed just two Southern Miss runners on base, as she allowed a walk to start the third and a runner to reach base on an error with two outs in the fifth.

The Golden Eagles finish a six-game homestand Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., when they play host to in-state rival Ole Miss in a single contest.

Tulsa will step out of C-USA play on Wednesday with a single game at Oklahoma State, scheduled for 7 p.m. at Cowgirl Field. The Golden Hurricane will return to the friendly confines of the Donna J. Hardesty complex on Saturday, March 15, for a three-game series with UTEP.

UTEP 10, UAB 2
UTEP 3, UAB 0
UTEP 8, UAB 0
UTEP swept its first conference series in school history as it defeated UAB, 10-2, in five innings of work on Sunday. The Miners won both ends of a doubleheader Saturday.

UTEP improves to 17-6 and a flawless 3-0 to open Conference USA play. The undefeated start is the best in school history. Since the 2004 inaugural season, the Miners had won just four conference series and the win on Sunday made it five.

UAB meanwhile is 13-14 overall and 0-3 in league play.

Stacie Townsend, who came in relief after 2 1/3 innings of play, received the win and moves to 7-4 on the season. The hurler allowed no hits, runs or walks and fanned four batters to end the day.

Camilla Carrera and Amber Bennett were both 2-for-2 at the plate with Carrera scoring three times. The freshman also knocked in two runs and drew two walks while Bennett had two runs with two RBI and two walks.

Kelly Curran became just the fourth UTEP player in school history to toss a no-hitter, the second player this season, as the sophomore from Albuquerque, N.M. led the Miners past UAB, 8-0 in five innings of play in the nightcap. UTEP shutout the Blazers, 3-0, in the first game of the day to open Conference USA plasy.

Three walks and one UTEP error kept Curran from a perfect game, as she struck out six batters to move to a flawless 4-0 season.

Townsend received the Game 1 win as she recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts and allowed just three walks. Townsend also contributed four RBI offensively for the Miners as she posted a 3-for-4 outing. The Miners' offense dominated the Blazers, as UTEP connected for 15 hits, nine of which were in the nightcap. UTEP was able to add three doubles to tally 48 (2.19 pg) for 2008. Carrera ended the day with a 3-for-4 outing that included four runs and a double.

The Miners return to action on Wednesday at Helen of Troy Field to take on I-10 rival New Mexico State. The doubleheader is slated for 3:00 p.m. The Miners dropped a 7-3 decision earlier in the season.

The Blazers return home next weekend to open their home C-USA schedule with a three-game series against the UCF Knights. The two teams will play a doubleheader Saturday and single game on Sunday. UAB is 4-2 all-time against UCF.

HOUSTON
Houston fell to No. 16 DePaul Sunday, 5-3, during the final day of the Bingham Toyota Bulldog Classic on Bulldog Diamond on the campus of Fresno State.

No. 14/15 Houston falls to 20-3 overall this season and 4-14 all-time against the Blue Demons.

The Cougars will wrap up play at the Bingham Toyota Bulldog Classic with a game against host Fresno State on Sunday evening.

Houston moved to 4-0 at the Bingham Toyota Classic and 20-2 overall this season after defeating Sacramento State, 3-1, and Cal Poly 6-0 during the second day of the tournament.

Junior Katie Bush started off game one for the Cougars scoring on a single by junior Laurie Wagner in the top of the first inning. Bush reached base on walk in her first at bat of the game.

With the bases loaded in the top of the sixth, senior Angel Shamblin hit a single over second base scoring pinch runner freshman Katy Beth Sherman and senior Amanda Grote to regain the lead. That would cap the scoring for the Cougars and they would hold on for the win.

Senior Barbie Love pitched the complete game allowing three hits, one run, no walks, and three strikeouts. She moves to 6-1 on the season.

In the second game of the day it would take three innings for the Cougars to get on the board. Shamblin crossed home plate on a single by Bush after reaching base on a double to right field.

In the bottom of the sixth, junior Krista Raley would reach base after being hit by a pitch and juniors Jessica Valis and Katie Bush would load the bases on two bunts. Junior Elaina Nordstrom would score both Raley and Valis on a single to right field. Bush would go on to score on a single by freshman Jennifer Kilnkert.

Junior Laurie Wagner would follow that up reaching base on a fielder's choice and Haley Valis would come in and score Klinkert with a single to second base. The final run of the inning would come when Wagner score after Shamblin hit a grounder past shortstop.

Houston won both their games to open play at the Bingham Toyota Classic in Fresno, Calif. on Friday. The Cougars defeated Santa Clara 4-0 and Rhode Island 8-1