Middlebrooks, Tulsa Sweep UTEP

Lacey Middlebrooks had an impressive game, but it might have been even more impressive if the game lasted longer than five innings.

Middlebrooks helped the Golden Hurricane get the job done quickly with an 11-0 win in five against UTEP on Sunday. Tulsa swept the Miners with the victory.

Middlebrooks struck out five and had four hits in four innings to pick up the victory. She also went an impressive 2-for-2 with a homer, four RBIs and two runs scored on the other side of the plate.

The victory kept the Golden Hurricane a game ahead of second place UAB for the top spot in the Conference USA standings.

Coach Jon Bargfeldt said it was important to get off to a good offensive start and pick up hits at the right time.

"When it comes down to the end of the season, there are a couple of teams that are very close to us (in the conference standings), and we just wanted to keep that margin the same as when we came into the weekend," he said. "It was very important to win all three games."

TU wasted no time in beginning the blowout with a six-run first inning, thanks in large part to six walks from UTEP to start the game. It added two runs in the second and three in the third to put the game well out of reach early.

Middlebrooks picked up the win for Tulsa while Colleen Hohman got the loss for the Miners.

Tulsa will finish out the regular season with a three-game series trying to hold off UAB over the weekend.

The first two games of that series will take place in a doubleheader starting at 11:30 a.m. Saturday in Birmingham, Ala.