RICHARDSON, TX (04.08.17) - The No. 21-ranked UT Dallas softball team completed a three-game sweep of Concordia Texas Saturday afternoon in American Southwest Conference play and, in the process, broke the program record for victories in a season.
After a 14-5 win over the Tornados Friday, the Comets (26-8, 18-6 ASC) picked up a pair of 9-1 victories over CTX Saturday to not only set the record, but to secure a spot in a second straight ASC Tournament later this month. The Comets' previous season wins record was 25, set in 2004 and then matched in both 2005 and 2016. UTD will be heading to the ASC Tournament for the fourth time in five seasons.
UTD returns to action next week with a three-game set at Ozarks, starting with a single game at 3 p.m. Thursday in Clarksville, Ark. The two teams will then play a 12 p.m. doubleheader Friday.
GAME 1 - UTD 9, CTX 1 (6 inn.)
The Comets picked up their second straight walk-off victory via the home run as
Jessica Vlasek blasted the game winner in the bottom of the 6th to lift UTD to a 9-1 victory over Concordia Texas to open Saturday's twin bill.
UTD scored four runs in both the 4th and 6th inning to pull away from the Tornados after CTX knotted the game with a run in the 3rd frame. Vlasek finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBI while
Stefanie Polderman was 3-for-3,
Ravin Wilson was 2-for-3 and
Melissa Livermore was 2-for-4 as UTD collected 13 hits in the victory.
The Comets opened the scoring in the 1st when Livermore came home on a
Brittany Perkins sacrifice fly, however CTX tied the game two innings later, 1-1. In the 4th, UTD got RBI singles from both Wilson and Griffith before Perkins gave the Comets a 5-1 advantage with a two-run shot to left, her fourth of the season.
Wilson would open the Comets' half of the 6th with a double to left and move to third after a Livermore bunt single. After a sacrifice flys from both Griffith and Perkins, Vlasek ended the contest with her six long ball of the season.
Allie Stephens (8-4) earned the win, giving up one run on four hits with two strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work.
GAME 2 - UTD 9, CTX 1 (5 inn.)
The Comets used a five-run 3rd frame and ended the game with a pair of runs in the 5th as UTD collected another 9-1, run-rule victory over the Tornados to close the series and extend its winning streak to six games.
Livermore again opened the scoring in the 1st as she came home on
Kendra Litchfield ground out. The Tornados once again knotted the game, 1-1, this time in the second before UTD answered again with eight straight runs.
After back-to-back walks and a sacrifice bunt to open the 3rd, the Comets opened their scoring in the frame when Griffith scored by beating the tag on a Litchfield grounder. UTD then got back-to-back RBI singles from Polderman and Moore to take a 4-1 advantage before Polderman came home on a wild pitch.
Heather Gilbert then gave the Comets a 6-1 lead with a single up the middle, scoring Moore.
The Comets tacked on a run in the 4th with a solo homer from Vlasek, her team-leading seventh of the season, and ended the game with RBI singles from Wilson and Griffith in the 5th.
Sara Davison (4-3) gave up just three hits with three strikeouts while limiting CTX to one run in 5.0 innings. Moore went 3-for-3 while Polderman was 2-for-3. Both Comets scored two runs and had an RBI.
