Purdue Fort Wayne
1-6
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UTEP
9-2
Purdue Fort Wayne Comeback Falls Short to North Dakota
2/17/2024 10:01:00 PM | Softball
EL PASO, Texas - The Purdue Fort Wayne softball team went down to the wire with North Dakota on Saturday (Feb. 18) in one of the two games at the UTEP Invitational.
GAME 1 - UTEP 8, Purdue Fort Wayne 0
UTEP used a big first inning to take control of the game. The Miners put seven runs on the board in the opening frame thanks to seven hits.
UTEP scored its eighth run an inning later.
The Mastodons recorded five hits. Bailey Manos, Epiphany Hang, Brayden Lickey, Tori Countryman and Alanah Jones had one hit each.
Jones took the loss in the circle. Kayla Roberts threw 2.2 innings in relief and struck out three, a season-high. Faith Aragon threw all 5.0 innings and struck out six 'Dons for the win.
UTEP improved to 9-2 to continue its best start in program history.
GAME 2 - North Dakota 7, Purdue Fort Wayne 6
Down 7-4 in the seventh, the Mastodons started to mount a comeback behind the bat of Brooke Wintlend. Brayden Lickey got on base with a single up the middle, then two at-bats later, Wintlend hit her first home run of the season over the left field wall. From there though, the Fighting Hawks got the third out they needed to end the game.
The Mastodons jumped out to a 4-0 lead against North Dakota early on. Grace Hollopeter brought home Bailey Manos in the first inning with a double to right field, then three innings later the 'Dons tallied three more runs. McKenna Minton knocked in Ella Carriere with a single up the middle, then Hollopeter got another RBI with a single. Hang hit the third single in five Mastodon plate appearances to score another.
North Dakota cut the lead down to one in the Fighting Hawks' half of the fourth with a three-run home run. UND took the lead an inning later, tallying three runs with a five-hit inning.
Gracie Brinkerhoff registered two strikeouts in 4.0 innings pitched. She took the loss. North Dakota's Makaela Carr got the win in 5.1 innings pitched in relief.
North Dakota improved to 3-6. The Mastodons fell to 1-6. The 'Dons are back in action on Sunday morning (Feb. 18) at 11 a.m. ET against Montana.
~ Feel the Rumble ~
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: ARAGON, F (4-1)
L: Jones, Alanah (1-3)
Batting:
2B: Lickey, Brayden 1
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Batting:
2B: MORALES, L 1 ; RICHARD, A 1 ; COLLETT, K 1 ; MENDEZ, I 1 ; GARCIA, B 1
3B: COLLETT, K 1
RBI: MORALES, L 1 ; RICHARD, A 2 ; COLLETT, K 1 ; HOGAN, H 1 ; GARCIA, B 2 ; ALLEN, A 1
SF: ALLEN, A 1
Base Running:
RUNS: MORALES, L 1 ; SCOTT, A 1 ; RICHARD, A 1 ; COLLETT, K 2 ; HOGAN, H 1 ; MENDEZ, I 1 ; GARCIA, B 1
SB: MORALES, L 1 ; SCOTT, A 2
CS: MORALES, L 1
HBP: MENDEZ, I 1
