RICHARDSON, TX (03.17.17) - Junior
Samantha Halliburton's second home run of the season capped a six-run bottom of the 7th as the UT Dallas softball team upset No. 5-ranked East Texas Baptist Friday night in walk-off fashion as the two teams opened a three-game American Southwest Conference series.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
The Comets (19-4, 11-2 ASC) maintained their hold on second place in the highly competitive ASC with Friday's win and will look to ride the momentum into Saturday's 12 p.m. doubleheader with the Tigers (17-3, 10-3 ASC)Â at the UTD Softball Field.
Down 5-2 heading to the bottom of the 7th, the Comets would plate six runs on five hits to complete the come-from-behind victory. After a lead-off single by
Kendall Moore,
Heather Gilbert drew UTD within a run, 5-4, with a two-run homer to left, her first of the year. The Comets put runners on second and third after back-to-back singles by
Ravin Wilson and
Melissa Livermore, followed by a sacrifice bunt by
Hope Griffith.
Jessica Vlasek then knotted the game with a deep fly ball to center, scoring Wilson. After a four-pitch walk drawn by
Brittany Perkins, Halliburton ended the game with a three-run shot on an 0-1 count to left center, giving UTD its first win over the Tigers in more than five hear.
The Tigers grabbed an early 3-0 lead after three solo home runs. UTD would finally answer in the 5th with a two-out double by Griffith, scoring Gilbert and Livermore. ETBUÂ added two runs in the top of the 7th, however, on just one hit, two walks and a hit batter.
Allie Stephens (6-2) earned the victory as she gave up five runs on nine hits with two strikeouts in a complete-game performance. The Comets managed eight hits off of ETBU ace Rocki Tello (8-2). Livermore was the only UTD batter to record a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
The last Comet win in the series over ETBU came on March 13, 2012, when UTD earned a 4-3 walk-off victory. Friday's victory marked the third UTD win over  top 10 program this season, sweeping then No. 7-ranked Texas Lutheran, 2-0 and 5-4, on Feb. 4.