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CLERMONT, FL (03.14.13) - The UT Dallas softball team closed out the NTC Spring Games Thursday afternoon with a 5-4 walk-off in over Heidelberg University to wrap up the event with a 5-3 mark.

The Comets (now 11-4-1) will return home over the weekend before hitting the road next week for a pair of American Southwest Conference East Division doubleheaders. UTD visits No. 3-ranked Texas-Tyler Tuesday before facing No. 13 East Texas Baptist Saturday.

UTD earned three dominant wins to open the week, collecting a 12-8, six-inning victory over Ripon College Sunday before downing Cornell College (5-1) and Monmouth College (16-1, 5 innings) on Monday. The Comets were handed just their second loss of the season Tuesday morning, falling to Northwestern College (Minn.), 12-8, before bouncing back with a 8-7 come-from-behind win over Bethel University. UTD was fell to St. Lawrence University, 6-5, Wednesday. Earlier on Thursday, the Comets were handed their second straight loss, falling to Rhode Island College, 3-0.

UTD 12, Ripon 4 (6 inn.)

UTD opened the bottom of the first with three runs before recording an out as Brittanie Knowles doubled in both Hannah Creech and Stephanie Harris before coming home on a Rachel Riley single. Later in the inning, Jonelle Feikis used an inside-the-park home run to score Riley and Jordan Bratcher.

After giving up a pair of runs in the top of the 2nd, the Comets extended its lead to 9-2 with two runs in the bottom of the frame and another run in the 3rd. In the 2nd, Knowles single in Creech for her third RBI of the game. Then, Harris came home on a Riley RBI groundout. In the 3rd, Harris doubled in Morgan Harris.

Ripon scored a pair of runs in the 5th to draw within six, but UTD ended the game with a run in each the 5th and 6th to secure the run-rule victory. In the 5th, Riley picked up her third RBI of the game with a bases-loaded groundout to second, scoring Creech. The game ended when Feikis scored on a bases-loaded, one-out passed ball.

Olbeter picked her fourth win of the season after giving up two earned runs on three hits in 4.0 innings of work. Olbeter struck out four and walked four. Micah Starkey tossed the final two innings, giving up two runs on four hits and a walk.

Harris finished the game 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI while Creech was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and Knowles was 2-for-4 with three RBI and a pair of runs scored.

UTD 5, Cornell 1

The Comets took an early 2-0 lead in the 2nd on a homer by Feikis, her second of the season, and added three more runs in the 5th to seal the victory. In the 5th, Avery  McHugh plated Harris and Knowles with a one-out double and quickly scored herself on a double by Riley.

Olbeter scattered four hits while giving up just one run in a complete-game performance. She fanned six Cornelle batters, issuing three walks, and retired the final 11 hitters she faced. Feikis ended the game 2-for-3.

UTD 16, Monmouth 1 (5 inn.)
After a scoreless 1st inning, the Comets returned to form against Monmouth with a 16-1, five-inning win, highlighted by an eight-run 4th frame to seal the victory.


In the 3rd, the Comets tacked on three more runs to pull ahead, 8-0. The first run in the frame came when Taylor Ervin scored on a passed ball. Riley later came home on a wild pitch before Robin Thomas plated Bratcher with a groundout.

After giving up a single run to Monmouth in the top of the 4th, the Comets put the game away with eight runs in the bottom of the frame.  UTD used just five hits and a Monmouth error to score the eight runs, drawing three walks and collecting a sac fly as 12 Comets came to the plate.

After an Ervin walk followed by a wild pitch to start the inning, Margeaux Petrash singled in Ervin to lift UTD to a 9-1 cushion. Three batters later, Petrash would score on a wild pitch. Hudec then picked up two more RBIs with a single, scoring Bratcher and Megan Aragones.  Later in the frame, Morgan Anderson used a bases-loaded double to score Hudec and Thomas. Sara Navarro followed Anderson's two-bagger with a sac fly to right, scoring Chelsea Sartor, and Anderson scored the final run of the game as she came home on a Monmouth error of a Petrash grounder.

Jessie Richardson (2-0) picked up the win, giving up one run on four hits in 4.0 innings of work. Starkey, making her second relief appearance of the week, tossed a perfect 5th inning with a strikeout. Five Comets had two-hit games with Hudec leading the pact 2-for-2 with four RBI and two runs scored.

Northwestern 12, UTD 8

In the top of the 1st, UTD opened the scoring when Harris stole third base and came home on an Eagle error. Knowles then gave the Comets a 2-0 lead when scored on a passed ball. McHugh tripled to right and scored on a pass ball for a 3-0 cushion for UTD.  Another passed ball three batters later allowed Riley to come home before Bratcher ended the scoring with single, scoring Aragones. The Comets collected just two hits in the frame, but took advantage of three errors, four passed ball, two hit batters and a wild pitch.

Northwestern answered with six runs on just one hit as the Comets committed two errors and walked four batters, the final with the bases loaded. However, UTD responded in the top of the 2nd with a bases-loaded walk of its own as Bratcher took the free pass to score McHugh.

After a two-hour delay for weather, the two teams returned the field. In the top of the 3rd, the Comets regained a 7-6 lead when Harris singled right field and Anderson scored from second base after a NC error on the play. However, the Eagles scored a pair of runs in the 4th and another in the 5th to grab a 9-7 advantage. In the top of the 6th, the Comets drew back within a run with Batcher single to left, scoring Riley, but Northwestern responded with a two-out three-run homer by Kristin Sigurdsen in the bottom of the inning to secure the win.

Richardson (2-1) was handed her first loss of the season, giving up eight runs, only two of which were earned, on four hits. Richardson struck out three but walked 10 Eagles in 4.0 inning of work. Starkey tossed the final two frames, giving up four unearned runs on three hits. Bratcher was 2-for-3 with three RBI while Riley was 2-for-2 and Creech was 2-for-5.

UTD 8, Bethel 7

After three scoreless frames, Bethel exploded for a four-run 4th to put the Comets in a deep hole. UTD responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the 4th and another in the 5th, but the Royals tacked on three more runs in the 6th on back-to-back home runs to grab a 7-3 advantage.

In the bottom of the 4th, McHugh reached on a one-out single to right and moved to second on a passed ball. Riley then plated McHugh with a triple over the centerfielder's head and then scored on another Bethel passed ball. In the 5th, UTD drew within a run with a two-out infield single by Knowles, scoring Anderson.

In the 6th, the Comets took advantage of back-to-back one-out error by Bethel to put runners on first and second. After a double steal by Creech and Ervin, Hudec used a pinch-hit single to draw UTD with three, 7-4, with a single up the middle. After a Bethel pitching change, Bratcher picked up her fourth and fifth RBI of the day with a two-run single to left, scoring Ervin and pinch-runner Sartor. In the final at bat for the Comets, Knowles opened up the 7th with a single to left and moved up 60 feet on a Thomas sac bunt. After Bethel's fourth error of the game, Creech then plated both Knowles and Riley to finish the comeback.

Aragones tossed the first 5.2 innings for the Comets, giving up seven earned runs on six hits. Aragones struck out four and walked five. Starkey (1-0) earned her first win of the sason, holding Bethel to just one hit in 1.1 innings of work with a strikeout. Normally UTD's lead-off hitter, Creech was just 1-for-4 from the six-hole, but got the hit when it counted. Bratcher was 2-for-4 from the top spot in the order with two RBI, while Knowles and Anderson were each 2-for-3.

St. Lawrence 6, UTD 5

UTD opened the scoring with a three-run bottom of the 1st, collecting a run on an RBI single by McHugh's, scoring  Knowles from second base, followed Riley's first home run o he season. However, St. Lawrence answered with four runs in the 3rd and two more in the 4th, setting up another comeback attempt by the Comets.

McHugh opened the bottom of the 7th with a single down the left field line and Riley gave the Comets runners on first and second after a fielding error by the Saints. Three batters later, the second St. Lawrence error in the frame allowed McHugh to score from second base. Thomas then singled to centerfield, scoring Riley, to draw within a run.

Olbeter had her least-effective outing of the season, giving up six earned runs on five hits. Olbeter struck out five and walked three. Starkey tossed three scoreless innings, giving up just one hit with two strikeouts. Riley finished 1-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.

Rhode Island College 3, UTD 0
The Comets were shut out for the first time this season, collecting just five hits in a 3-0 loss to Rhode Island College Thursday morning. UTD advanced runners to third base three times, including both of the first two innings, but to no avail.

UTD opened the game with a walk by Bratcher and a sac bunt by Harris, but after a ground out and a strikeout, the Comets could not take an early lead. RIC took advantage with a run without a hit in the bottom of the frame, using a lead-off error, a walk, a groundout and a wild pitch to take a 1-0 lead. The Anchormen added single runs in the 4th and 5th.

The Comets did not manage their first hit until the 3rd frame with a Bratcher single to right, however UTD could not muster a run. In the 6th, McHugh used a one-out infield single to hopefully start a rally, and after Creech double, the Comets had runners on 2nd and 3rd. But the inning would end with the tying run at the plate with a ground out to the right side of the infield.

Olbeter (6-3) was handed her second straight loss, giving up two earned runs on six hits in complete-game performance. Olbeter struck out three and walked three. Creech finished 2-for-2.

UTD 5, Heidelberg 4

The Comets opened the game with a 4-0 lead before Heidelberg evened the match, 4-4, with a grand slam home run in the top of the 6th. Heidelberg later had a two-run homer in the 7th erased as the Student Princes batted out of order.

UTD used a three-run 2nd frame to take early control and added a run in the 5th for a four-run cushion. In the 2nd, the Comets loaded the bases with an error, single and a fielder's choice, setting up an RBI single by Hudec followed by a two-run single by Feikis. Feikis later added a solo home run to lead off the 5th, her team-leading third long ball of the season.

Hudec led off the 7th with a single, but pinch-runner Ervin was thrown out at third after a single by pinch-hitter Riley. However, Riley advanced to second on the throw, setting up Harris' game-winner.

Aragones tossed the first 5.1 innings, giving up three runs seven hits and two walks. Aragones loaded the bases in the 6th before Starkey (2-0) entered the game to giving up the Heidelberg homer. Starkey finished the contest, collecting the win, giving up one run on three hits. For the first time this season, the Comet pitching staff did not record a strikeout.

Harris finished 2-for-4 with an RBI while Feikis was 2-for-2 with three RBI and Hudec was 2-for-3.