TYLER, TX (05.03.18) - The defending American Southwest Conference champion UT Dallas softball team's run in the ASC Championship Tournament is over after a 7-2 second-round loss to the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Thursday night at Suddenlink Field.

The Comets (24-18), who advanced to the second round after a 5-4 win over the University of the Ozarks earlier in the day, were eliminated with the loss. UMHB moves on into the double-elimination portion of the tournament, where it will meet host UT Tyler Friday.

In the two Thursday games, junior Melissa Livermore continued her assault on the UTD and ASC record books, scoring once in the first game to break her own single-season scoring record with 72 runs. She also pulled within two of the UTD and ASC single-season stolen base record, picking up two more to bring her 2018 total to 54.

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

FIRST ROUND: UTD 5, OZARKS 4

 

Junior Amber Williams went a perfect 4-for-4 and drove in  pair of runs, including the game winner with a hard-hit, bases-loaded single up the middle in the bottom of the 6th to score Ravin Wilson with the deciding run,
Pitcher Karen Crane, who went the distance to improve to 15-8 on the season, nailed down the victory with a perfect 7th inning - her fourth 3 up/3 down inning of the afternoon.

In addition to Williams, the top three hitters in the UTD lineup - Melissa Livermore, Ravin Wilson and Elizabeth Brann - combined for a 6-for-12 showing at the plate, scoring three of the runs in the opening round game.

Despite plating single runs in the first three innings, the Comets had to fight off a pair of Ozarks rallies. The Eagles came to life with three hits and two hit batters to load the bases with one out in the 4th, but the Comets were able to hold the damage to just two runs, stranding three Ozarks runners. Then the Eagles took advantage of a pair of two-out hits and a fielding error to tie the game at 4-4 in the 6th. But UTD answered in its next turn at the plate to retake the lead. Hits by Wilson and Brann got one-out singles and Samantha Halliburton loaded the bases with a walk, setting the stage for Williams' game-winning hit up the middle.

The Comets got their first two runs in similar fashion. Livermore and Stefanie Polderman led off the 1st and 2nd innings with infield singles, stole second, then came home on an RBI double from Brann and a Kendra Litchfield sacrifice fly. Brann made it 3-0 in the 3rd, scoring on another Williams RBI hit up the middle. After Ozarks cut the lead to 3-2 in the 4th, an errant play trying to catch Livermore stealing second resulted in Hope Griffith scoring to make it 4-2. 

SECOND ROUND: UMHB 7, UTD 2

 

A two-run home run in the 3rd and a four-run outburst in the 4th inning broke a 1-1 tie and propelled the UMHB Cru into the next round of the tournament. Down 1-0, senior Stefanie Polderman started the 3rd inning with a bunt single and came around to score on an RBI double from sophomore Kendra Litchfield.

But the Cru (28-12) answered in their half of the 3rd frame when Devon Walker launched a two-out homer over the centerfield wall to take a lead they would not surrender. Things then came unraveled for UTD in the 4th when UMHB got two runners aboard, then scored on an errant throw off a sacrifice bunt. The Cru followed with a triple that brought two more runs home and scored its fourth run of the inning on a sacrifice fly that might have been the final out.

UTD fought back in the top of the 6th when Ravin Wilson led off the inning with a solo homerun. Emily Schroeder and Hope Griffith gave the Comets a spark in the 7th with base hits, but the game ended on an infield bloop that turned into a double play.

The Comets managed eight hits, but five of those came in the 3rd and 7th innings as UMHB hurler Hannah Halpaska kept the UTD hitters off balance.