CLARKSVILLE, AR (04.23.11) – The UT Dallas softball team opened its four-game set at Ozarks Friday with a trio wins over the Lady Eagles, 11-5, 3-1 and 12-3, but dropped Saturday's series final, 4-3.

The Comets closed out the season with an 18-20 overall record (7-15 ASC East), while Ozarks wrapped up the year 7-33 overall (1-23 ASC East). UTD's 18-game win total is the most by the program in six seasons.

The series marked the final career games for seniors Natalie Duran, Makesa Richey and junior Caysie Norum, who plans to graduate early.

GAME 1 (THURSDAY/FRIDAY) – UTD 11, UO 5 (BOX SCORE)

UT Dallas pounded out 17 hits as the Comets opened the weekend with an 11-5 win over Ozarks.  After trailing after three innings played on Thursday, the Comets would explode for seven runs in the top of the fifth and add four more runs in the seventh for the victory.

The Lady Eagles opened the scoring in the bottom of the first frame as they took advantage of a UTD error to grab an early 1-0 lead. Ozarks doubled its lead in the bottom of the fourth, the first inning on Friday, when Molly Bowman scored Casey Mays with a sacrifice bunt.

UT Dallas got on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth frame as the Comets loaded the bases with just one out, setting up an RBI single by Kayla Moore, scoring Stephanie Harris. That single would spark a seven-run inning for the Comets as they took control of the contest with a swing of the bat.

Caysie Norum followed Moore's RBI hit with a bases-clearing double to deep center field, scoring Natalie Duran, Haley Starkey and Moore. After a Lady Eagle error and an infield single by Makesa Richey, the Comets again had the bases loaded in the inning. Norum would then come home on a wild pitch and Harris would end the scoring with a single through the left side of the UO infield, scoring Richey from third.

The Lady Eagles got three runs back in the bottom of the sixth inning when Ali Mathis opened the frame with a single and soon came home on a homer by Kelsey Mefford, her second of the season. Ashley Bush would later score on a successful double steal, cutting the Comet lead to 7-5.

The Comets answered in the top of the seventh with four runs to silence the Lady Eagles. With one out, Shelby Stephens doubled in Richey from first base and later came home on a single by Rachel Riley. UTD would add a run on a sacrifice fly by Duran, scoring Riley, and then ended the scoring with an RBI double by Anna Knutson, scoring Harris.

Heather Foust (9-12) picked up the win, giving up four earned runs on seven hits in a complete-game performance. Foust struck out three batters while issuing four walks. Harris led the Comets going 3-for-4 from the plate with two runs scored and an RBI. Norum led five other UTD hitters with two hits as she was 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored. All 10 Comets batters that went to the plate recorded at least one hit.

GAME 2 (FRIDAY) – UTD 3, UO 1 (BOX SCORE)
UT Dallas struck early and never trailed as the Comets earned a 3-1 win over the Lady Eagles in the first game that actually started on Friday.

The Comets kicked off the scoring quickly as Richey belted a two-run home run, scoring Brittanie Knowles, to give UTD an early 2-0 lead. But Ozarks would get one run back in the bottom of the second, taking advantage of three wild pitches by the Comets.

UTD would plate a final run in the top of the seventh frame when Duran came home from third on a sacrifice fly by Moore.

Alyssa Fincher collected the win in the circle, giving up one run on just two hits in 7.0 innings. Fincher had five strikeouts and four walks. Norum was the only Comet to record multiple hits, going 2-for-4 from the plate.

GAME 3 (FRIDAY) – UTD 12, UO 3 (5 inn.) (BOX SCORE)
UTD scored in all five innings as they run-ruled Ozarks, 12-3, in the third game of the weekend series.

The Comets took even less time to score in the third game of the series as Norum opened the game with a lead-off home run to left field, her first of two in the game, to give UTD an early 1-0 advantage. UTD added another run in the top of the second as Harris came home on a ground out by Starkey.

UTD continues its scoring in the third when Riley used a short single to left field to plate Knowles from third base with one out and added a second run in the frame on an RBI groundout by Harris, scoring Stephens, to give the Comets a 4-0 lead.

The Comets added two more runs in the top of the fourth on a single to left by Stephens, bringing home Norum and Knowles to lift UTD to a 6-0 cushion.

The host Lady Eagles would counter in the bottom of fourth after loading the bases with no outs. With one out, Ozarks pushed across a pair of runs on a single by Kelsey Hallman and added another run two batters later when Hallman came home as part of a double steal.

But, the Comets answered back in the top of the fifth with five runs, including a grand slam home run by Norum, to extend their lead to eight runs, 11-3. UTD opened the inning with a walk by Harris followed by singles from Duran and Knutson to load the bases. Starkey then reached base on a Lady Eagle error, allowing Harris to score, before Norum's conference-leading 11th home run of the season launched over the right center field wall. UTD would then load the bases again in the frame after another UO error and a pair of singles by Richey and Riley, setting up a bases-loaded walk by Starkey for UTD's final run of the inning.

Foust (10-12) collected her second win of the day as she gave up just one earned run on seven hits in 4.0 innings in the circle. Foust had a pair of strikeouts with one walk. Norum tossed the final frame, setting the Lady Eagles down in order.

Norum had a monster game, going 3-for-4 from the plate with five RBI and three runs scored. Knowles was 2-for-4 with three runs scored while Stephens was 2-for-3 and Riley was 2-for-4.

GAME 4 (SATURDAY) - UO 4, UTD 3 (BOX SCORE)
The host Lady Eagles scored two runs in the bottom of the first and never trailed as they handed UT Dallas a 4-3 loss in the series and season finale for both teams.

Ozarks plated a pair of runs in the first on back-to-back RBI singles by Mays and Kelsey Stephens. The Comets responded in the top of the third, however, as Richey opened the frame with her second home of the weekend, cutting the Lady Eagles' lead in half. It was Richey's fourth long ball of the season. UTD knotted the game, 2-2, two batters later when Harris plated Riley with an RBI groundout.

The Lady Eagles would take back the lead in the fourth when they scored a pair of runs on a bases-loaded error by UT Dallas. The Comets scored one run in the top of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Norum, scoring Harris, but left the game-tying run on second base.

Fincher (8-8) was handed the loss, gaving up just one earned run on 10 hits in 6.0 innings in the circle. Fincher struck out one batter, but issued four walks. Duran and Riley both ended the game 2-for-3.