UTEP left the tying run on third and the go-ahead run on second as Malia Simmons popped out to third in the top of seventh as Liberty held off the Miners to win game seven of the Lady Vol Classic at Tyson Park in Knoxville, Tenn., Saturday.

Liberty (12-27; 0-4 Big South) took a 4-1 lead in the second inning when Terra Lowe recorded a two-out, two-RBI single to left. Tiffany Johnson followed with her first homerun of the season.

UTEP (7-23; 0-2 WAC) started its comeback in the top of the fifth when Jawauna Davis drew a two-out walk. Kristin Hardy’s slow roller to second allowed Davis to advance and Megan Whiteaker and Sierra Hannum both notched RBI singles cutting the Lady Flames lead to one, 4-3.

The Miners looked to have a big inning going in the sixth as Holly Cohen led off with a bunt single. Gracie Borjas would reach on a fielder’s choice but Cohen was eliminated at second. Laura Joiner then singled to center but Borjas was thrown out at third for the second out of the inning and Jennifer Garcia popped out to second.

With two out in the first, Hardy singled to center driving in Joiner snapping the Miners 36.2-inning scoreless streak.

UTEP, which had managed just 14 hits in its last six contests, pounded out 11 against Lady Flames starter Rachel Floyd. Joiner, Hardy and Whiteaker led the way with two hits each.

The loss means the Miners will have two more games today both against Gardner Webb. The Miners will take on the Bulldogs at 1:00 p.m. and then again at 5:00 p.m. The later game will be the first game of elimination play with the winner of the 1-o’clock game being the #4 seed and the loser the #5 seed.