Comets Kick Season Off With Split

UTD Wins Opener, Defeats Trinity at UT-Tyler's Easton Classic

WHITEHOUSE, TX - The UTD softball team scored 20 runs in a pair of wins, but just five in its two losses at the season-opening Easton Classic Tournament, hosted by UT-Tyler at Whitehouse HS.

The Comets pounded out a combined 23 hits in an opening 11-2 win over Webster University (MO) and a 9-5 win over Trinity (TX) Sunday. Sophomore Courtney Wright (pictured) finished the weekend hitting .500, collecting seven hits and driving in six runs. Senior Kristen Turner (pictured below) started both the winning games, and was 4-for-7with 5 runs scored and 5 RBI.

Between the two wins, UTD had just five hits in a 5-3 loss to Marville (MO), and only four more in a 7-1 loss to nationally-ranked Washington-St. Louis.

UTD 11, WEBSTER (MO) 2 (boxscore)

The Comets started the season by scoring five runs in the first inning against Webster. Wright and Turner both delivered doubles in the 5-hit inning and combined for six hits and six RBI. Heather Harydzak went the distance for her first win of the year.

MARYVILLE (MO) 5, UTD 3 (boxscore)

Maryville pitcher Erin Clark surrendered just four hits and struck out five, but UTD managed to push across three runs, two of them unearned. Amber Griffin (pictured) led off the third inning with a triple and scored on a Staci Sours single. The Comets got two more on a two-out error by the Maryville shortstop that allowed Lyndsi Ayers and Wright to score.

#24 WASHINGTON-ST. LOUIS 7, UTD 1 (boxscore)

UTD could manage just four hits - all singles - against Washington-St. Louis and pitcher Claire Voris, who struck out five. Wright had the only RBI, driving home Sours for UTD's only run. UTD gave up Washington runs in each of the first six innings, but only four were earned after a pair of Comet errors.

UTD 9, TRINITY (TX) 5 (boxscore)

The top of the UTD lineup - Griffin, Turner, Carter Ryan and Wright, combined for six hits and drove in eight runs as UTD rallied from a 3-1 deficit with eight runs in the 5th and 6th innings. Seven of the first eight UTD hitters in the 5th inning had a hit - the big blow coming from a bases-loaded double by Turner (pictured). A Ryan double in the 6th drove in a pair. Jana Cain took the win in relief of Harydzak