Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

EL PASO, Texas – The University of Evansville softball team split the second half of a four-game series with UT-El Paso today, winning the first game of the doubleheader by a score of 15-12 before falling 7-3 in the nightcap.
 
Freshman Kayla Fortner ended the day 5-for-8 at the plate, belting her her second home run of the series, as well as a double while collecting seven RBI. Sophomore Niki Rahming hit .500 on the day, also hitting a double while picking up two RBI. Sophomore Katie Sears and freshman Victoria Dellorto both ended the day with five runs scored.
 
The Aces will continue their eight-game road trip, traveling to Auburn, Ala., for the 2012 War Eagle Classic, hosted by Auburn.  Evansville’s first game of the four-game invitational will be against Louisiana Tech on Friday at 7:00 p.m.
 
 
Game 1: UE 15, UTEP 12
In almost an exact replay of yesterday’s opening game, the Aces’ offense was able to jump out to an early six run lead by the end of the second inning. Sears started the game with a leadoff walk and was later able to score on a UTEP error, giving UE the 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
 
Senior Allison Aguilera and junior Alicia Betancur both hit singles to start off the top of the second. Sophomore Kacey Rogers was able to work a walk to load the bases before Sears came through with a triple to right center to bring all three runners home and push the score to 4-0. A passed ball allowed Sears to score while Dellorto, who had reached on a walk, moved into scoring position at third base. Fortner then hit a single to right field to score Dellorto before the inning ended with UE leading 6-0.
 
But the Miners were able to cut the lead down to 6-4 in the bottom of the fourth. UTEP put its first run of the game on the board with a pair of singles and a fielder’s choice before Chelsea Troupe hit a three-run blast, her third homerun of the series, before the Aces were able to shut down the rally.
 
A double by Rahming in the top of the fifth brought home Rogers, who had walked to lead off the inning, to bump the Aces’ lead to 7-4. However, the Miners’ lineup struck again in the bottom of the frame, using a hit and a UE error to push across two more runs, putting the score at 7-6 going into the fifth.
 
After holding the Aces scoreless, the Miners took the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning with another three-run homer, this one from the bat of Kayla Black.
 
Trailing 9-7 in the top of the sixth, Sears and Dellorto led off the inning with back-to-back singles before Fortner cranked her second collegiate home run over the right field wall to give UE the 10-9 lead. Rahming followed the blast with a walk, and was later able to score on a UTEP fielding error to give UE the two-run lead going into the bottom of the frame.
 
But UTEP’s Camilla Carrera opened the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run off Taylor Perry, who had entered the game in the third in relief of starter Emily Morris. The Miners’ third homer of the game prompted another pitching change from head coach Mark Redburn, as Sarah Patterson entered the game.  However, after the Aces intentionally walked Troupe, the Miners were able to put together a single and a double to add another run to the board and tie the game at 11-all heading into the seventh.
 
Sears and Dellorto opened the inning with back-to-back walks before Fortner came through again, this time delivering a double to left center, scoring both Sears and Dellorto before she was thrown out at third. With three more hits and another UTEP error, the Aces were able to tack on two more runs before the inning ended, leading 15-11 as the Miners were down to their last three outs.
 
With one out on the board, Carrera hit her second home run of the game, tallying another solo shot to right field to move the score to 15-12. But Patterson came through in the relief effort, forcing Troupe to ground out before striking out the final batter to secure the win.

Patterson grabbed the win in the circle, allowing two runs on four hits with two strikeouts in the final two innings of work.


Game 2: UE 3, UTEP 7
The Miners wasted no time getting on the board in game two as Troupe and Carrera homered again, this time back-to-back solo shots in the bottom of the first. Black reached on an error and was later brought home on a sacrifice fly to count as the Miners’ third run of the inning.

With the Aces trailing 3-0 in the top of the third, UTEP’s Cynthia Villastrigo issued three consecutive walks to load the bases for Fortner, who delivered a single to left field to give the Aces their first run of the game. Rahming then drew the fourth walk of the inning, bringing home another run before Dellorto scored to tie the game off a sacrifice fly by junior Halie Malone.

UTEP quickly recovered the lead in the bottom of the frame as Troupe, who was intentionally walked, scored as a result of a UE fielding error and a single up the middle.
The Miners added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth, using four hits, including a two-run homerun by Kayleigh Walts, to score three more runs to push the score to 7-­3.

Patterson took the loss in the circle, giving up six runs on five hits in 3.1 innings of work. Junior Kendall Kautz threw 2.2 innings of relief work, allowing one run on two hits while fanning two UTEP batters.