IRVING, TX (04.07.10) - There's just something about the University of Dallas softball field that brings out the best in UT Dallas' offense. Unfortunately, the same may not be the case for the other side of the game.

Wednesday night, the Comets (13-13) returned to the stadium where they rattled off four consecutive victories in a tournament earlier this season (including a record-breaking 41-1 pasting of Rust College). With a brisk northerly breeze blowing out, the UTD bats immediately recognized their surroundings as the Comets pounded out a combined 42 hits in a pair of games with the UD Crusaders.

Only this trip, the Comet defense and pitching could barely hold up its end of the bargain, surrendering 41 hits of its own, and contributing 10 errors in a 14-17, 14-12 split with the Crusaders (16-10).

Everyone in the UTD lineup got into the action at the plate, with Caysie Norum leading the way with a 7-for-9 night that included four RBI. Catcher Courtney Lievsay finished the evening strong with a 5-for-9 performance that included five RBI; and Courtney Kuebler and Natalie Duran each had 6-for-10 series at the plate.

GAME 1: DALLAS 17, UTD 14 (BOXSCORE)

Freshman Jeni Olbeter was staked to a 6-0 lead in the Comets' first at-bat, but she and here teammates couldn't make it stand up as the Crusaders answered with an identical 6-run, 5-hit 1st inning. The two teams again traded single runs in the 2nd and were still tied up at 9-9 after four.

But things unraveled for Olbeter and the Comets in the 5th. Until that point, the Comet freshman had given up nine runs, but only two were earned after the UTD defense started the game with at least one error in each inning (they finished the game committing six!). After giving up two straight singles in the 5th, Norum took over in the circle and didn't have much better luck. UD followed with four more hits in the inning to go up 13-9.

The Comets were able to counter with three runs in the 6th, putting together a four-hit attack and cutting the lead back to one at 13-12. But the Crusaders kept pouring it on in the bottom of the frame, scoring four more when a two-out error in the outfield allowed two more runs to come home.
The loss dipped UTD below .500 for the first time this season.

GAME 2: UTD 14, DALLAS 12 (BOXSCORE)

There was no shortage of offense in the nightcap as the two teams combined for 45 hits, but UTD starter Mallory Meyers was able to keep Crusader runs at a premium long enough for the Comets to hold on for the win and snap a losing streak that had reached 10 games.

Meyers allowed just two hits and got five of her six strikeouts in the first three innings as UTD built an early 6-3 lead. The Crusaders came to life after that, but UTD's offense never let UD get any closer than a run behind. Even after allowing UD to score five runs in the 6th inning and leaving five runners on base themselves in the final two frames, the Comets still held a 14-12 lead and were able to get a shutdown inning in the 7th when they needed it most.