RICHARDSON, TX (02.27.21) - The UT Dallas softball team picked up its first win of the season Saturday morning as the Comets shut out Howard Payne, 2-0, to wrap up a three-game American Southwest Conference series.

With the game moved up two hours to get ahead of anticipated weather in the area, the Comets had a rare 10 a.m. first pitch to a conference game. Right-hander Devyn Yanello recorded her first career shutout as she scattered seven hits over 7.0 innings without a walk.

The Comets (now 1-7, 1-2 ASC) picked up their first run of the weekend in the bottom of the 2nd when Megan Todd used a two-out single to left to plate Avery Markley. Sarah Lewis then doubled the UTD lead in the 3rd with a one-out single down the rightfield line, scoring lead-off hitter Ashley Ambrosy from second base.

Ambrosy continued her hot start to the season at the plate, finishing the win 3-for-4 with a run scored. She closed the three-game set 8-for-11 at the plate and is now hitting .643 over the first eight games of the season.

The Comets return to action and ASC play next weekend with a three-game set at Sul Ross State. The two teams will play a 3 p.m. Friday doubleheader before closing the series with a 11 a.m. single game Saturday.