RICHARDSON, TX (04.20.15) - The UT Dallas softball team completed a sweep of a three-game set with Concordia Texas Monday, 6-1 and 7-1, keeping the Comets in the chase for the final playoff spot in the end-of-year American Southwest Conference championship tournament.
The Comets (14-18, 10-16 ASC) swept the series after winning the opener Sunday night, 13-7; and keeps UTD alive in its pursuit of the No. 6 seed in the tournament. UTD, which finishes the year with three games at The University of the Ozarks, is battling with LeTourneau for the final spot. LETU is playing Monday and Tuesday at last-place Sul Ross, then finishes the season against CTX. The Comets would need to finish with a better record since LETU won two-of-three from UTD last week.
Senior
Megan Aragones picked up a save in relief of sophomore
Sara Davison in the 6-1 win, then tossed just her second complete game of the season to pick up her first win of the year in the 7-1 Game 2 win.
Leadoff hitter
Jordan Bratcher went 3-for-4 with two RBI in the opener, then shortstop
Taylor Jensen knocked a three-run home run to lead the way to five RBI in the doublehader.
GAME 1: UTD 6, CTX 1After falling behind 1-0 early in the opener, UTD erupted for a five-run 4th inning, sending 10 batters to the plate in a five-hit assault. UTD then added another run in the 5th to complete the 6-1 win.
Sophomore
Sara Davison benefitted from the 4th-inning outburst to even her season record at 6-6. She gave up just two hits and a pair of walks in the first four innings of the game before the Tornados touched her for a walk and hit to start the 5th. Aragones came in with one out and got a strikeout and ground ball to end the threat for her third save of the season.
Concordia's only run of the game came in a bizarre chain of events. Morgan Laredo singled to open the 2nd inning, went to second on a passed ball, then moved to third with Jess Ramos' pickoff attempt at second base caromed off her leg. She eventually came home on a Davison wild pitch.
UTD answered loudly in the 4th. With one out, the Comets' alltime doubles leader
Avery McHugh doubled to right center. Ramos followed with an single and
Jonelle Feikis tied the game with an RBI single to left center. Jensen then delivered a two-RBI double, scoring pinch runner
Margeaux Petrash and Feikis. A walk and hit batter loaded up the bases and Bratcher came through with a two-out, 2-RBI single, scoring Whitney Walkow and
Taylor Ervin.
McHugh again doubled to lead off the 5th and scored on a Ramos single up the middle.
GAME 2: UTD 7, CTX 1The Comets erupted for a 4-0 lead in their first at-bat and held off the Tornados behind Aragones for a 7-1 win. In just her second complete game of the season, Aragones picked up her first win after scattering five hits with a pair of strikeouts.
Four of the first five UTD hitters in the game had base hits, capped by a three-run home run over the left field wall by
Taylor Jensen. Bratcher started the assault with a leadoff double, then
Morgan Anderson beat out a sacrifice bunt attempt for a base hit. After one out, Ramos singled up the middle, scoring Bratcher and leaving runners at the corners for Jensen.
UTD added two more in the 2nd with just one hit, but two CTX errors. A dropped fly ball off the bat of
Taylor Ervin led off the inning.
Sara Navarro followed with a double and Bratcher walked to load the bases. After one runner was forced out at the plate, the Tornado third baseman had another ball hit right back to her, but this time, hit Navarro with the throw home. Ramos then worked a walk to force in another run.
Concordia got one back in the 4th with a pair of hits, but UTD answered in the bottom of the 6th. Ramos led off the inning with another walk, then came around to score after a Jensen double and a Wolkow RBI single up the middle.
The Comets wrap up their regular season next weekend with a three-game ASC series at Ozarks.
