LA VERNE, CA (03.14.22) - The UT Dallas softball team wrapped up its six-game California road trip Monday night with a split with La Verne. The Comets opened the twin bill with a 5-1 win over the Leopards before dropping the night cap, 4-3.
 
The Comets (15-4) return home and to ASC play this weekend with a three-game set against Mary Hardin-Baylor. The two teams will play a 3 p.m. doubleheader Friday before a 12 p.m. single game Saturday to close the series. The Comets and Cru are currently tied for second place in the ASC, both at 7-2 in league play.
 
GAME 1: UTD 5, ULV 1
The Comets scored four runs in the top of the 6th inning of the opener to break a 1-1 tie and win their fifth straight on the West Coast trip.
 
UTD put together six hits and a big error after two outs in the frame to take control. Avery Markley reached on a dropped fly ball and Megan Todd, Celeste Soliz and Nicole Peters followed with RBI hits.
 
For the game, the Comets had eight hits, all singles, with Todd and Peters having two apiece.
 
Pitcher Emilie Hoelscher was the beneficiary, improving to 6-2 on the season with a complete-game showing that included five strikeouts. Despite giving up six hits, she pitched out of trouble several times, stranding seven Leopard baserunners.
 
The Comets got on the board first in the 3rd inning when Soliz reached on an error and scored when a Peters hit to right field was misplayed. But La Verne answered immediately, leading off their half of the inning with a triple that scored on a play at the plate.
 
GAME 2: ULV 4, UTD 3
The Comets had their five-game winning streak snapped in Monday's late game with a 4-3 loss to La Verne with the Leopards scoring an unearned run in the 7th after two UTD errors in the frame.
 
Trailing 1-0 in the 2nd inning, the Comets knotted the game with an RBI single up the middle by Alyssa Ledesma, scoring Soliz. The host Leopards regained the lead with a bases-loaded walk in the 4th, but Todd reversed the lead in the top of the 5th, with a two-run home run, her team-leading fifth of the spring.
 
ULV, however, knotted the game once again, 5-5, in the bottom of the 5th and ended the game with a walk-off RBI single with a two outs in the 7th.
 
Ledesma finished the game 3-for-3 with an RBI while Todd was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Markley closed the game 2-for-4 with a run scored.