After seven scoreless innings of play in the series decider at UTEP, the Western Kentucky softball team used a seven-run eighth inning to secure a 7-2 victory Sunday in El Paso, Texas.

WKU had 13 batters make plate appearances in the eighth, registering three doubles, four singles and two walks in the inning to secure the victory.

Paige Carter went 3-for-4 at the plate in the leadoff spot for the Hilltoppers with a walk. Brittany Vaughn, Jordan Mauch, Adarian Gray, Morgan McElroy and Taylor Proctor each registered two hits on the day. Kelsey McGuffin and Vaughn led the way for the Tops with two RBIs apiece.

Mauch got things going in the eighth with her first of two singles. Adarian Gray followed with a ground-rule double, moving Mauch to third before Kelsey McGuffin sent a double to right-center field to plate both Hilltopper baserunners. Morgan McElroy followed with an RBI single for a 3-0 WKU lead. Taylor Proctor followed with an RBI single of her own before the Hilltoppers registered their first out of the inning.

With two outs, Vaughn sent a two-RBI double to left center scoring both Haylee Towers and Rebekah Engelhardt before Mauch sent here second single of the inning up the middle to score Vaughn for a seven-run advantage.

Finally registering the third out in the top of the eighth, WKU had 23 minutes to get three outs before the drop dead time. UTEP didn’t make it easy on WKU pitcher Kathryn Downing, posting two runs of its own before the Hilltoppers closed the game with 13 minutes to spare on the clock.

Downing went the distance in the circle, improving to 12-8 on the season with 8.0 innings pitched including four strikeouts.

WKU returns to action Friday with a doubleheader against visiting C-USA rival Charlotte at the WKU Softball Complex. First game is scheduled for 1 p.m.{&end}