THURSDAY'S SCORES
UTEP 11,
@Belmont 5
UTEP 11, BELMONT 5
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Despite striking first and putting runs on the board early, the Belmont softball team (6-7) was unable to hold on to its lead and fell to visiting UTEP (7-9), 11-5, on Thursday at E.S. Rose Park.
The Bruins had their first chance to score in bottom of the second and came through behind a single to left by sophomore Heather Turner (Rosenburg, Texas). A single by freshman Taylor Moon (Vestavia, Ala.) moved her into scoring position before a shot up the middle by junior Ashley Hammer (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) sent her over the plate.
In the bottom of the fourth, BU got hot again. Junior Kim Johnson (Tucson, Ariz.) and Moon notched back-to-back doubles to identical spots in left center to give Belmont a 2-0 advantage that it would carry until the sixth inning. UTEP exploded in the top half, piling on five runs with the help of a pair of Bruin errors.
The Bruins clawed back in the bottom of the sixth, adding two runs off a deep single by sophomore Kat Hollingsworth (Carrollton, Texas) that scored Amanda Criscione and Johnson to cut the Miners lead in half, 8-4. However, UTEP fired back in the top of the seventh, adding three more runs to the board to go up, 11-4.
BU made one final effort to regain the lead and win in the bottom of the seventh. Turner smashed a triple to right before Johnson launched a sacrifice fly to send her home. Unfortunately, the Bruins were unable to score again and fell, 11-5, to UTEP.
Sophomore Kirbie Ferrell (Pasadena, Texas) led Belmont with three hits. Turner, Johnson and Moon each finished with two hits. Hollingsworth tallied two RBI. Inside the circle, Moon and classmate Carolyn Snodgress (Torrance, Calif.) shared duties and combined for three strikeouts.
Belmont returns to action March 9-10 at the Saluki Invitational, March 9-10 in Carbondale, Ill.