Box Score
EL PASO, Texas – Tatyana Vega struck out four batters in a complete-game effort while Paige Lassiter blasted an RBI single in the fourth inning, but the UTEP softball team was upended by visiting Missouri State, 3-1, at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex Friday evening.
Camrynn Guthrie smacked a two-out double to bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh for the Miners (11-33, 3-19 CUSA) only to have the Bears (19-26, 7-15 CUSA) record the final out to snuff out the rally. Marissa Burchard, Kenna Carranza and Ari Leon also delivered hits for the Orange and Blue, but MSU pitcher Emily Koranda worked through the trouble while going the distance.
The visitors got on the board first after Alexis Perales doubled with the bases loaded to score two and afford them a 2-0 advantage in the top of the first. Vega limited the damage by striking out Elizabeth Bobbitt looking with two runners on second and third.
The Bears' Emily Gerardy added another run on a groundout RBI that scored Bobbitt for a 3-0 edge heading to the bottom of the fourth.
The Miners' offense started to come alive in the frame, with Iliana Munoz drawing a leadoff walk. Kenna Carranza then squared up to bunt, and it was a good one. The Bears tried to get Munoz at second, but she showed good hustle to beat the throw. Halle Hogan sacrificed the runners to second and third before Burchard reached on an error as the first baseman pulled her foot off the bag early, loading the bases with only one out for UTEP.
Lassiter laced a hit through the hole on the left side of the infield to plate pinch-runner Ari Leon and cut the deficit to 3-1. With the bags still full, Aaliyah Betancourt hit a laser that Koranda used quick reflexes to snag for the second out of the inning. Kendall Angulo flew out to right to end the threat.
Vega did her part the rest of the way to give her squad a chance, but the Bears managed to hold on.
UTEP will vie to even the three-game series when the two sides square off again at 4 p.m. MT Saturday.
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