Senior pitcher Courtney Auger took the loss in the Miners' first game against ECU on Friday. (Image: Brian Kanof).

EL PASO – The UTEP softball team dropped both games of Friday’s doubleheader against East Carolina, 1-0 and 6-0, at the Helen of Troy Complex.

The Pirates, who are currently ranked third in the Conference USA rankings, improved to 33-16 overall and 13-7 in league games. UTEP fell to 16-30 and 1-15 against conference teams.

In game one, ECU’s Toni Paisley picked up the win striking out 16 and allowing just three hits in the shutout to record her 25^th win of the season while UTEP’s Courtney Auger pitched a complete game registering eight strikeouts and allowing six hits, thus falling to 8-13 in the season.

Auger shut out the Pirates through four innings before walking catcher Kai Clark. Clark advanced on Jasmine Robbins’ next at bat and was brought home by shortstop Chelsea Glackin to give ECU the 1-0 lead.

Sophomore Kayleigh Walts posted two hits off of Paisley; fellow sophomore Kayla Oranger was the other Miner with a hit against the senior hurler.

In the second game, East Carolina began by taking a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first. From that point, they never surrendered the lead. The Pirates added one run in the second and extended the lead to 5-0 in the top of the fifth before scoring their last run of the day in the sixth frame for a final score of 6-0.

The Pirates’ Faith Sutton held the Miners to five hits through seven innings. Sutton posted eight strikeouts and walked just one of 28 batters she faced. For the Miners, sophomore Joanna Krienitz took the loss; pitching five innings, striking out five, and allowing six hits and five earned runs.

The Miners will return to the diamond today for a noon meeting with the Pirates for the final game of the three-game series.