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Jeni Olbeter Action

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Olbeter's Game 2 No-Hitter Highlights Weekend Split With Ozarks In Season Finale

PITCHER JENI OLBETER, A FRESHMAN, THREW FIVE HITLESS INNINGS IN A 9-0 WIN ON FRIDAY

IF NOT FOR TWO FINAL-INNING GAFFES, JENI OLBETER WOULD HAVE WEAVED A PERFECT GAME SHUTOUT IN GAME 2 ON FRIDAY.
RICHARDSON, TX (04.23.10) – Jeni Olbeter's résumé just keeps getting stronger. First, she conquered Louisiana College, the No. 1 team in the country. Now, she can add another accomplishment to that list of softball rarities.

Olbeter, a freshman from Frisco, befuddled the University of the Ozarks through five innings in Game 2 of a four-game weekend series on Friday, recording just the second no-hitter in UT Dallas softball history and the first since Daci DeLeon's in 2005.

Olbeter waved four Ozarks batters, issued no walks; and if not for two 5th-inning errors—committed with two outs—Olbeter could have walked away with the only perfect game in the program's nine-year existence.

Olbeter and the Comets cruised to a 9-0 win in that nearly flawless Game 2, which followed a Friday opener where UTD tallied a 7-4 comeback win over the last-place Lady Eagles, who entered the series having dropped 18 straight.

Ozarks rebounded on Saturday, though, to pick up 5-2 and 4-0 victories over the Comets in the final games of the season for both teams. The last-place Lady Eagles finished the season at 9-30, and 3-21 in ASC play. UTD's season ended at 16-24 with a 5-19 conference mark, finishing just ahead of the Lady Eagles in 6th place.

Prior to the Ozarks series, UTD had experienced similar idleness in the past month after starting the season at 12-3; snapping a stretch Friday where they had lost 19 of 21, including seven straight.

GAME 1: UTD 7, OZARKS 4 (Boxscore)

The Comets trailed 3-2 until they unloaded a 6th-inning avalanche on the Ozarks. Haley Starkey's 2-RBI single capped a five-run, three-hit frame, setting the stage for Mallory Meyers (8-11) to earn her first win since April 7.

Meyers allowed just two earned runs off eight Ozarks hits, and safeguarded the base paths by limiting the Lady Eagles to 10 runners throughout. She piled up six strikeouts and gave up a two-run dinger to the Ozarks' Ali Mathis in the 3rd.

Natalie Duran Action
Natalie Duran
catalyzed the Comets offensively by furnishing a 2-for-4 outing at the plate, while Meyers and Caysie Norum belted two hits apiece.

GAME 2: UTD 9, OZARKS 0 (Boxscore)

Olbeter (6-10) retired the first 14 batters she faced, and with two outs in the top of the 5th inning, backed by a 9-0 advantage, she was on the verge of pitching a perfect game—albeit a truncated one. It was not meant to be.

The Ozarks' Stephany Henson dribbled a grounder down the third baseline that snuck through the legs of Courtney Kuebler, ending Olbeter's bid. The next batter, Rebecca Groff, sent a similar shot toward Olbeter, who bobbled it.

But when Starkey put away the following play—another ground ball—it presented Olbeter with the first no-hitter in a Comet uniform since DeLeon paved the way to a 1-0 win over UT-Tyler back on March 29, 2005. DeLeon's perfect-game bid was downgraded by two walks, not two errors.

Offensively, Duran laced three more hits en route to a 4-RBI performance, and Norum notched a pair of base hits as the Comets scattered 10 throughout. They altered the course of the game with a seven-run 4th inning highlighted by Kuebler's sixth home run of the season.

GAME 3: OZARKS 5, UTD 2 (Boxscore)

Courtney Lievsay Action
In Saturday's opener, the bats on both sides of the field were silent, as Meyers and Ozark's Kaci Foster allowed just a couple of hits apiece through the first four innings. But Ozarks came to life in the 5th inning pushing across two runs on three hits, then made it 5-0 in the 6th with a Kelsey Mefford three-run homer that put the game out of reach.

After struggling to keep runners on base - much less bring them home - UTD loaded the bases with one out in the 6th on a walk and three straight hits, but had to settle for just one run. The Comets got their final runin the 7th when Meyers singled, then scored on a throwing error by the Ozarks centerfielder.

GAME 4: OZARKS 4, UTD 0 (Boxscore)


If the Comets had trouble moving baserunners in the first game Saturday, then things just got worse in Game 2.

UTD just nine baserunners over seven innings, but had one thrown out stealing and two thrown out on double-play balls.

Meanwhile, Ozarks finally broke through against Olbeter 24 hours later, knocking a pair of doubles to open the inning and bring Meyers back to the circle. By the time the damage was done, Ozarks had a four-hit inning and a 2-0 lead. In the 6th, a throwing error on a potential sacrifice bunt set the stage for a big two-out, 2-RBI single that gave the Lady Eagles all the cushion they would need.

Courtney Lievsay led the way on Saturday with a four-hit afternoon.
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