HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The UTEP softball team dropped their final contest in a three-game Conference USA series to Southern Miss, 8-0, on Sunday afternoon at the USM Softball Complex in Hattiesburg, Miss.

The series began on Saturday when UTEP lost the first game, 10-0, and the second 11-10 on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 11th inning.

The Golden Eagles (14-27, 2-12) got their scoring started early in the first game with a five-run first inning. Southern Miss scored their five runs on three hits off starter Joanna Krienitz (2-4), who pitched 2.1 innings. Krienitz finished her outing allowing seven runs on five hits, walking three and striking out two batters.

Beth Dietrich was in the circle for the Golden Eagles and pitched a complete game shutout in five innings.

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Miners and Golden Eagles battled back and forth.

The Miners started off strong, scoring six runs in the top of the second. Kia Moore scored the first run of the day for the Miners on an error by the Golden Eagles’ catcher, Alexis Hurley. Courtney Ware scored on a wild pitch for the second run of the inning. Becky Smith and Kayla Black each drove in a run in the same inning.

Southern Miss answered back in the bottom of the second when they scored seven runs on five hits; all off UTEP starter Megan Atchison.

Atchison handed the ball over to Krienitz after going only 1.1 innings. Krienitz went the distance, pitching 8.1 innings. Krienitz pitched six scoreless innings before giving up three runs to the Golden Eagles in the bottom of the 11^th frame.

In the final game of the series, freshmen Laura Ramos and Kia Moore combined for four hits, two each, for the Miners, but it was the Golden Eagles’ bats that won the contest. Krienitz, once again, took the loss for the Miners, giving up six runs on six hits in 4.2 innings in the circle.

The Miners, plagued by injuries through the season, have now fallen to 16-29 overall and 1-14 in league games.