RICHARDSON, TX (03.04.17) - The UT Dallas softball team won its third straight American Southwest Conference series after taking all three games against LeTourneau over the weekend in league play. After holding off LETU, 8-7, in Friday's series opener, the Comets completed the sweep with a pair of Saturday victories, 5-0 and 6-1.
The Comets, now riding a five-game winning streak, improved to 16-3 overall with Saturday's victories and are now 8-1 in ASC play after the first three league series of the season. UTD returns to action with a three-game ASC series at Mary Hardin-Baylor. The two teams open play with single game Friday at 4 p.m. before playing a 12 p.m. doubleheader Saturday in Belton.
GAME 1 - UTD 5, LETU 0
Lauren McLeod (10-0) picked up her second win of the weekend as she scattered five hits with three strikeouts in a 5-0 blanking of LeTourneau in Saturday's opener.
The Comets gave McLeod all the offense she needed in the bottom of the 1st, scoring three runs on three hits to grab a quick 3-0 lead.
Melissa Livermore led off the Comets' 1st with a single and stole second before later coming home on a
Kendra Litchfield single.
Stefanie Polderman then singled in
Hope Griffith for UTD's second run and the Comets finished their three-run 1st with a sacrifice fly by
Kendall Moore, scoring
Brittany Perkins.
UTD added insurances in both the 3rd and 6th to complete its fourth shutout victory of the season. In the 3rd,
Jessica Vlasek scored on a LET error to lift the Comets to a 4-0 cushion. UTD's final run came on a two-out single by Perkins, scoring Livermore, in the 6th.
Polderman finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBI while Livermore was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Both Comets swiped a pair of bases.
GAME 2 - UTD 6, LETU 1
The Comets used another bit 1st inning as
Allie Stephens (5-2) went the distance in a 6-1 win over LETU in the series finale.
Stephens struck out five without a walk while giving up a run on seven hits in a complete-game performance. Four Comets recorded multi-hit games as UTD finished the game with 10 hits.
UTD plated four runs in the bottom of the 1st on five hits and a YellowJacket error. After a lead-off single by Livermore, Griffith put the Comets up 1-0 with a double off the left field wall. The Comets would hit three doubles in the 1st frame, with Vlasek and
Heather Gilbert each collecting RBIs on their two-baggers. Up 4-1 in the 6th, the Comets added two late runs on Griffith's first home run of the season.
Vlasek and Gilbert were both 2-for-3 while Livermore and Griffth went 2-for-4 from the plate. Griffith had three RBI and two runs scored.
