MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The UT Dallas softball team kicked off the 2023 campaign with a pair of dominating victories at Rhodes Friday afternoon. The Comets outhit the Lynx 26-4 on the day, en route to 7-0 and 10-1 wins.

In the opener, graduate student pitcher Emilie Hoelscher struck out seven batters, allowing just two hits over five frames to get the win. Marisa Mejia allowed one hit in two scoreless innings to combine for the shutout.

UTD left fielder Alexia Mullen set the pace in the top of the first with a lead off walk before stealing both second and third and scoring on an error. Jordan Evans followed with a walk and Megan Todd doubled her in to put the Comets up 2-0 in the first. Addison Caddell had a RBI-single in the second and Claire Pollack and Erin Ledesman each drove in runs with sacrifice flies the next to innings to make game one 5-0 through four. Caddell plated two more runs in the seventh on another single for the final 7-0 tally.

Comet sophomore McKenzie Cutbirth took a perfect game into the sixth inning of game two before pinch hitter Madison Bromley reached on an error and scored on a Harper Allee-Press double. The extra base hit was the only one allowed for Cutbirth, as she struck out two batters and earned the complete game win on an efficient 80 pitches. 

With two outs in the top of the fourth, Todd doubled and scored on a Sarah Lewis base hit to give the Comets a 1-0 lead. They added four more runs in the sixth on six hits and a sac fly. Mejia had the big hit of the inning with a two-run single to left field.

UTD tacked on five more runs in the seventh on four hits, an error and back-to-back bases loaded walks.

UT Dallas Notes
- Pollack went 5-for-6 on the day with three runs scored, a double and a pair of RBI.
- Caddell was 3-for-5 with four RBI.
- Todd recorded three hits in the double-header, including a double in each game. She now has 20 career doubles.
- Mullen and Evans stole two bases each.
- Megan Cavazos went 3-for-3 with two runs scored
- Hoelscher, Mejia and Cutbirth combined to allow four hits and no earned runs with nine strikeouts.

Rhodes Notes
- Allee-Press recorded a hit in both games.
- Hannah Grace Roden had a stolen base and a sacrifice bunt.
- Gina Dudley took the loss in game one, allowing six hits, three earned runs and two walks with two strikeouts over four innings.
- Emma Caplinger gave up seven hits, four runs, two walks and struck out four in 5.2 innings in the loss of game two.

Up Next
UTD will continue its opening weekend in Memphis on Saturday when they face Transylvania at 9 a.m. and Webster at 11.