RICHARDSON TX (02.08.22) - The UT Dallas softball team hit four home runs and stole 11 bases as the Comets kicked off the 2022 season with a pair of run-rule home victories over Austin College Tuesday afternoon. 

Megan Todd hit a pair of home runs and had six RBI in the first game of the day as the Comets opened the pair with AC with an 11-2 victory in five innings. Avery Markley and Cole Johnson both went deep in the night cap as UTD rolled to a 10-2, six-inning win over the 'Roos to complete the non-conference sweep.

The Comets will return to action this weekend as they open the ASC slate with a three-game home series with LeTourneau. The two ASC foes will open the set with a 4 p.m. doubleheader Friday with the series finale set for 12 p.m. Saturday at the UTD Softball Field.

GAME 1 - UTD 11, AC 2 (5 inn.)
The Comets snagged a 4-0 lead before even recording an out in the first inning as Todd blasted her second career grand slam to set the tone for the doubleheader. UTD would add four more runs in the 2nd, two coming off of Todd's second long ball of the game, and tacked on three final runs in the 3rd.

Coming to bat up 4-1 in the 2nd, Jordan Rasmussen plated Celeste Soliz with a groundout to the right side of the infield. Avery Markley brought home Jordan Evans with a single to right before scoring herself on Todd's second home run.

Up 8-2 in the 3rd, Soliz pushed the Comet cushion back to seven runs with a single to right, scoring Alexia Mullen, and Rasmussen completed the scoring with a two-run single up middle, plating Soliz and Ashley Ambrosy.

Todd became just the 10th UTD softball player to hit multiple home runs in a single game and is now just the fifth Comet with two grand slams in a career. 

As a team, the Comets were 8-for-8 in stolen bases, one shy of the program record, with Ambrosy and Megan Cavazos both collecting two swipes.

Comet starter Devyn Yanello (1-0) earned the victory, giving up two runs on five hits through the first 3.0 innings of the contest. Yanello struck out two batters without issuing a walk.

GAME 2 - UTD 10, AC 2 (6 inn.)
The Comets scored four runs in each of the first two frames in the night cap as they cruised to a 10-2, six-inning, victory over AC to wrap up the day.

UTD used four straight extra-base hits to jump out to a 4-0 lead after the first frame as Markley and Johnson both sent shots over the rightfield wall. Markley opened the scoring with her long ball. Todd then doubled and scored on Johnson's moon shot. Sarah Lewis then collected her first career triple and would come home on a 'Roo two-out error.

Markley picked up a second RBI in the 2nd with a sacrifice fly, scoring Jordan Evans, before Lewis cleared the bases with a three-run double in the frame to give the Comets an 8-0 lead. 

AC got single runs in both the 3rd and 4th innings before the Comets would wrap up the run-rule victory with tallies in each the 5th and 6th. In the 5th, Todd reached on a 'Roos throwing error, allowing Kailey Gonzales to score. Megan Zatopek closed the game with a walk-off triple in the 6th, scoring Emily Ng.

Lewis finished the game 2-for-3 with three RBI while Zatopek was 2-for-3 as well. Markley and Johnson each collected two RBI.

Starter Marisa Mejia (1-0) claimed the win with just one run on three hits in 3.0 innings of work. Mejia struck out one and walked one.