Box Score EL PASO, Texas - Tournament-host UTEP jumped out to an 8-0 lead and went on to top Bradley 15-7 as the Braves closed out play at the UTEP Invitational Sunday afternoon at Helen of Troy Stadium. Senior Kate Singler (Witt, Ill./Nokomis/Heartland C.C.) helped highlight the day with a 1-for-3 effort at the plate to extend her hit streak to a career-best seven games.
Chelsea Troupe belted a two-run homer in the top of the first inning to give the Miners an early 2-0 lead. UTEP (9-6 overall) scored three more runs in the second inning without the benefit of a hit. The Miners loaded the bases before Becky Smith reached on an error to score the first run of the frame and back-to-back wild pitches allowed two more runs to cross as UTEP went in front 5-0.
UTEP added three more runs in the top of the third to push the advantage to 8-0 before Bradley (3-11 overall) scored. Junior Jackie Roth (Hickory Hills, Ill./Stagg) led off the bottom of the third inning with a walk and scored on a triple by freshman Alex Chandler (Needles, Calif./Needles). Chandler later scored on a passed ball to cut the UTEP lead to 8-2.
Three more UTEP runs in the top of the fourth inning extended the Miners' advantage to 11-2. Senior Denise Jilka (Eureka, Mo./Eureka) led off the bottom of the fourth with a double and senior Katelyn Kegley (Pekin, Ill./Pekin) drew a walk to put runners at first and second. Roth drove in a run with a single up the middle and Bradley added another run on an RBI single by junior Alison Kresl (Kankakee, Ill./Bishop McNamara) to cut the deficit to 11-4.
The Miners pushed two more runs across in the top of the fifth to extend the lead 13-4, before a three-run effort by the Braves in bottom half of the inning. Junior Julie Sherman (Hickory Hills, Ill./Stagg) scored on a wild pitch and Kegley followed with her first career home run, belting a two-run homer to left to pull the Braves within 13-7.
UTEP put the game out of reach with two more runs in the top of the sixth to close out the 15-7 victory. The Miners had runners at second and third with one out when Kia Moore ripped a triple down the right field line to drive in a pair of runs and close out the game.
Freshman Madeline Lynch-Crumrine (Sedro-Woolley, Wash./Sedro-Woolley) fell to 1-3 on the year with the loss, striking out one and walking one in one and one-third innings. Laura Ramos earned the victory for UTEP, improving to 2-2 as she struck out four and walked two in the complete game victory.
Bradley returns to action Friday, opening play at the Eller Media Stadium Classic in Las Vegas, Nev., with an 11 a.m. (CST) contest against Kansas.
