RICHARDSON, TX (03.31.17) - UT Dallas senior right-hander Lauren McLeod became the softball program's career strikeout leader in the first game of the night as the No. 21-ranked Comets took both ends of a doubleheader against Howard Payne, 6-5 and 9-1, Friday in American Southwest Conference play.

The Comets (22-8, 14-6 ASC) will look for their third ASC series sweep of the season Saturday when they host HPU in the series finale at 12 p.m. at the UTD Softball Field.

McLeod, a native of Machaca, struck out four batters in the Comets' 6-5, eight-inning win over the Lady Jackets to give her 303 career strikeouts, passing former Comet Daci DeLeon, who had 302 strikeouts during her career from 2004-06. McLeod is now the UTD career record holder in innings pitched, appearances, starts, wins, complete games and shutouts. She is currently 13-1 in the circle for the Comets this season with a 2.38 earned run average, collecting 67 strikeouts in 91.1 innings pitched.

GAME 1 - UTD 6, HPU 5 (9 inn.)
After giving up five early unearned runs, the Comets rallied back to force extra innings before taking the series opener, 6-5, with a walk-off bloop single by freshman Kendra Litchfield.

Down 5-0 in the 6th, UTD plated four runs to draw within a run in the bottom of the frame and knotted the game, 5-5, with one out in the bottom of the 7th to force the extra inning. After back-to-back singles by Litchfield and Stefanie Polderman to open the Comets' half of the 6th, Kendall Moore would load the bases with an eight-pitch walk. Heather Gilbert then started UTD's scoring with a two-run single to center, plating both Litchfield and Polderman. After an infield hit by Ravin Wilson to re-load the bases, Melissa Livermore drew a bases-loaded walk to draw the Comets within two runs, 5-3. Following an HPU pitching change and a double play, the Comets cut the lead down to one run with a wild pitch, allowing Gilbert to come home.

Polderman got the Comets' 7th going with a one-out single to right and then stole second base. She would score the game-tyinr run on a Moore single to left. After a 1-2-3 top of the 8th by the Lady Jackets, Hope Griffith sparked UTD's bottom of the frame with a one-out triple down the right field line and easily scored the game-winner on the two-out hit by Litchfield.

McLeod got into trouble early, giving up five unearned runs on eight hits and three errors through the first five innings of the game. She settled down later in the contest, did giving up a hit over the final three innigs. She recording her 11th complete game of the season, tossing 143 pitches. Her record-breaking strikeout came with two outs in the top of the 6th after giving up a pair of walks.

The Comets finished the game with 13 hits, the fourth-highest total of the season, with 11 hits coming from the 5th inning on. Moore went 2-for-3 with Polderm and and Wilson both going 2-for-4. Litchfield rounded out the Comets with multi-hit games going 2-for-5.

GAME 2 - UTD 9, HPU 1 (5 inn.)
In contrast to Friday's opener, the Comets plated six runs in the 1st to propel them to a 9-1, five-inning victory and their sixth ASC series win of the season.

Samantha Halliburton became just the eight UTD softball player even to hit two home runs in a single game, completing the feat in the first two innings. The Comets would score all six runs in the 1st with two outs, picking up an RBI double from Jessica Vlasek before Halliburton's first long ball of the contest, a two-run shot to dead center. UTD added two runs on a Gilbert double and a final run on a Wilson single to take the quick 6-0 lead. After giving back a run in the top of the 2nd, Halliburton knocked out her second two-run shot in the bottom of the frame to lift UTD to an 8-1 lead. The Comets ended the scoring in the 5th with a one-out, walk-off double down the line by Gilbert, scoring Polderman from second base in the bottom of the 5th.

Allie Stephens (7-4) picked up the win as she gave up an unearned run on five hits with six strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work. Halliburton finished 2-for-3 with four RBI while Polderman and Gilbert each finished 2-for-3 as well. Wilson was 2-for-2.