BELTON, TX (03.12.17) - The UT Dallas softball team scored six runs in the top of the 7th and held off furious rally by host Mary Hardin-Baylor in the bottom of the inning to secure a 12-11 win to open a three-game American Southwest Conference series.

The Comets (17-3, 9-1 ASC) will play a 12 p.m. doubleheader with UMHB Monday before returning home. With the loss, Cru fell to 10-8 overall and 5-8 in ASC play.

Leading 6-4 heading to the final frame, the Comets sent 10 batters to the the plate, collecting four hits and taking advantage of two UMHB error to extend their lead to eight runs. However, the Cru answered with seven runs in the their half of the 7th on six hits and a very costly UTD error, which allowed the final five runs to score.

Freshman Jessica Vlasek finished the game 4-for-4 from the plate with six RBI, one shy of the program record, as she belted her team-leading fourth home run of the season. The Comets finished the contest with 14 hits with five different players recording multi-hit games.

The Comets opened the scoring in the top of the 1st with an RBI double by Vlasek, scoring Hope Griffith. But, UHMB answered with three runs in the bottom of the 2nd to secure a 3-1 lead. UTD evened the game, 3-3, in the 3rd with two runs on a Kendra Litchfield bases-loaded fielder's choice followed by a Cru error on the play. However, the Cru regained the lead in the bottom of the inning, 4-3.

Vlasek would give the Comets the lead for good in the 4th, 6-4, with a towering long ball to left field, scoring Griffith and Brittany Perkins.

Lauren McLeod (11-0) kept her record perfect on the season as she tossed 6.2 innings, giving up four earned runs on 11 hits. She struck out two Cru batters and issued two walks. Allie Stephens eared her first career save, retiring the only batter she faced in the 7th.