Senior pitcher Courtney Auger shad an off day against UAB this weekend and dropped the afternoon game Saturday. UTEP dropped all three games in the weekend series. (Image: Brian Kanof).

EL PASO, Texas – Conference USA leading UAB used a six-run fifth inning to close out the weekend series against the Miners, 8-0, on Sunday afternoon at the UAB Softball Field in Birmingham, Ala.

The series began on Saturday afternoon in Birmingham, Ala., where the UTEP softball team dropped the first two games to UAB, 3-1 and 11-4.

The Miners were up on the board first in the opening contest of the three-game series. Freshman Samantha Alvillar touched home on fellow freshman Kayla Black’s fly to right field.

Laura Ramos tossed a complete game for the Miners falling to 2-4 for the season. Ramos shut out the Blazers through 3.1 innings before surrendering a home run in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game at one run apiece.

UAB opened the bottom of the fifth with a base hit and added a second runner on a walk. The Blazers loaded the bases on Kayla Orr’s single to left field and made UTEP pay with runs in the next two at bats to take a 3-1 lead.

Despite giving up one hit in the bottom of the sixth, the Miners had one more chance at the top of the seventh. But UAB’s freshman pitcher Leigh Streetman struck out her eighth batter of the game, which eventually led to the 3-1 victory by UAB.

In game two of the series, the teams exchanged a pair of scoreless innings before junior Kelynn Frye recorded her first double of the season. UTEP took a 1-0 lead early on in the game.

Ramos then got on first on an error for back-to-back miscues that scored Troupe and Walts to make the score 3-0 in the bottom of the third.

Unfortunately, the Blazers responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. Courtney Auger struck out the first batter before giving up a double and an error.

The Miners took a two-run lead in the top of the fifth when Ramos’ single up the middle scored Becky Smith. The inning closed with UTEP leading 4-2.

Auger walked the first batter and put a second on a hit by pitch to begin the bottom of the fifth. After an out and a fielder’s choice, the Blazers loaded the bases on another walk and scored the first of nine runs.

Sallie Van Kirk gave UAB the lead on a base-clearing double to left center to make the score 7-4. The Blazers scored four more runs with two outs before Auger was relieved by Joanna Krienitz. The sophomore allowed one run off one hit before striking out pinch hitter Donna Plath to end the inning 11-4.

In the final game of the series, freshman Laura Ramos took over early to relieve starter Megan Atchison with the Miners behind 1-0. Ramos held the Blazers to just one more run in the bottom of the third, which kept the Miners in the game heading into the bottom of the fifth.

Yet, the Blazers’ bats were on fire to begin the fifth frame with a pair of doubles and singles off of the first four batters that extended the lead by four. Hits abounded as centerfielder Caley Walden registered her team-leading third hit of the game. Walden’s two-RBI double in the left center gap ended the game early in a run-rule decision.

The UTEP softball team now stands at 16-22 and 1-8 in Conference USA games while the Blazers improve to 27-9 and 11-1 in league games.

The Miners will travel to Jacksonville, Ala., to face Jacksonville State for a doubleheader schedule to begin at 5 p.m. (CT) tomorrow.

Rebecca Frazier Burch can be reached at show@minerillustrated.com