CLARKSVILLE, AR (03.31.12) - With 10 games left in the regular season, the UT Dallas softball team already has more wins that last spring after sweeping Ozarks in a four-game American Southwest Conference East Division play over the weekend.
The Comets (now 19-9, 7-7 ASC East) won a pair of 5-3 decisions on Friday before coming alive at the plate for two more wins over the Lady Eagles. UTD needed just five innings to secure a 9-1 win to open Saturday before pounding out 16 hits for a 7-3 win in the series finale. Ozarks fell to 8-18 (3-13 ASC East) after the four losses.
GAME 1 - UTD 5, UO 3 (BOX SCORE)
Ozarks got two runs in the 1st after opening the frame with back-to-back singles followed by a sacrifice bunt to set up a two-run double by Kelsey Stephens.
UTD answered in the 3rd with a pair of unearned runs after two Ozarks errors and a hit batter.
Hannah Creech got the Comets on the scoreboard as she scored from second on a two-out error by the Lady Eagles on a
Kayla Moore ground ball. After
Brittanie Knowles was hit by a pitch, Moore came home on the second Ozarks error of the inning, a ground ball to third base by
Avery McHugh.
Ozarks regained the lead in the 5th, however, as Ali Mathis opened the frame with a double, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored her second run of the game on a sacrifice fly by Brittany Wagnon. But the Comets were quicker to counter this time, getting the run back in the 6th on a sacrifice fly by
Morgan Anderson, scoring
Rachel Riley, to even the game, 3-3.
The Comets finally took the lead in the 7th with a two-out single by Riley, bringing home both Moore and McHugh. Moore kicked off the rally with a one-out walk and then stole second. Two batters later, McHugh reached on a single to the UO shortstop and both players advanced one base to give the Comets runners on 2nd and 3rd to set up Riley's go-ahead hit.
The Lady Eagles had a chance for a rally in the bottom of the 7th, getting runners at the corners with just one out, but Reagan Littlefield popped into a double play to end the game.
Heather Foust set the UTD single-season record for wins as she earned her 12th win of the year, going the distance. Foust gave up three earned runs on eight hits while fanning six Lady Eagles. Riley finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored while McHugh was 2-for-4 with a run scored.
GAME 2 - UTD 5, UO 3 (BOX SCORE)
The Comets once again took advance of Ozarks errors in Friday's second game, but were able to do damage early to take control of the game before the Lady Eagles attempt to rally to force a split.
UTD opened the scoring with a run in the 3rd when
Jordan Bratcher came home on the first of four Ozarks miscues in the game. The Comets then jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the 4th after scoring three runs on two hits and two more errors.
Knowles opened the 4th for the Comets with a single up the middle and McHugh gave UTD runners on 1st and 2nd when she reached on an error by UO on a ground ball to the left side. After a sacrifice bunt by
Jacqueline Rosson and a walk by Anderson to load the bases,
Haley Starkey gave UTD a 3-0 lead with a single to left field, scoring both Knowles and McHugh. Anderson later scored on a double steal followed by Ozarks' second error of the inning.
The Lady Eagles cut into UTD's lead in the 5th on an RBI groundout by Stephens, but the Comets responded quickly with a two-out RBI double by
Alyssa Fincher, scoring
Jonelle Feikis from second base. Ozarks added a run each in the 6th and 7th inning, including a solo home run by Stephens in the 7th, but could not complete comeback.
Jeni Olbeter (2-3) picked up her second win of the season as she tossed a complete game, scattering nine hits and giving up just three earned runs. Olbeter struck out two Lady Eagles and issued three walks. Starkey finished 1-for-3 with two RBI.
GAME 3 - UTD 9, UO 1 (5 inn.) (BOX SCORE)
The Comets took little time to take control of Saturday's first game, scoring four runs in the opening frame, en route to a 9-1, five-inning win over Ozarks.
Creech opened the game with a single to left and advanced to second on what would be the first of six Lady Eagle errors in the game. Two batters later, Knowles walked and then stole second, setting up a two-run double to right by McHugh to start the scoring. UTD added an RBI single by Riley followed by a run-scoring double by Fincher to complete the first-inning scoring.
The Comets added four more runs in the 4th to put the game away. After Bratcher opened the frame with a double down the left field line, she quickly came home on a single by
Megan Aragones, giving UTD a 5-0 cushion. Two batters later, Aragones came home on an Ozarks' error on a Moore ground ball, the first of two Lady Eagles' miscues in the inning. After a single by Creech and a double-steal by Moore and Creech, Moore came home on a sacrifice fly by
Stephanie Harris and Creech scored on a single by Knowles.
The Lady Eagles got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the 4th with a successful double steal, but UTD answered in the top of the 5th when Bratcher opened the Comets' half of the final inning by reaching on a error by the UO right fielder and came all the way around on the error.
Foust (13-2) earned her second win of the weekend, holding the Lady Eagles hitless through three innings before giving way to Fincher. Foust struck out three hittes while issuing one walk. Fincher gave up one run on three hits in her first appearance in the circle since Feb. 25 after suffering injury. Creech went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored from the lead-off spot while Riley was 1-for-2 with two RBI and two runs scored.
GAME 4 - UTD 7, UO 3 (BOX SCORE)
The Comets got offensive in the series finale, banging out a season-high 16 hits and they scored in each of the final five innings to earn a 7-3 win over Ozarks.
Falling behind 1-0 after the 1st, UTD knotted the game with a two-out single by Knowles in the 3rd, scoring Harris. Riley then opened the 4th with a triple to right-center field and scored on an Ozarks' error as the Lady Eagels attempted to get the ball back to the infield.
The Lady Eagles tied the game in the bottom of the 4th, but UTD respnded with single runs in both the 5th and 6th to take a 4-2 lead. In the 5th, Knowles brought home Harris again, this time with a two-out double to right-center field. Aragones then used a single through the left side of the Ozarks' infield, scoring Riley from second.
Ozarks got a run back in the bottom of the 6th to draw back within a run, 4-3, but the Comets plated three runs on six hits in the final frame to seal the sweep. Creech and Harris opened the 7th with back-to-back doubles for the first run of the 7th for UTD before Harris came home on a sacrifice fly by McHugh. With two outs and runners on the corner, Anderson plated Riley with a bunt single to complete the scoring.
Aragones (1-1) picked up her first collegiate win, tossing the first 4.0 innings and giving up two runs on three hits.
Micah Starkey picked up the save, her first, scattering five hits and giving up an unearned run. Harris, Knowles and Riley each finished the game 3-for-4 as the Comets went 16-of-33 (.485) as a team. Knowles and Riley each tallied three RBI.
