Comets Drop 1-5 Weekend at Millsaps

UTD Tops Piedmont, Puts Scare in #6 DePauw

NOTE: Results from this tournament were due to circumstances at the tournament site. We apologize for not being able to offer more timely information.

RIDGELAND, MS - The UTD softball team opened the Millsaps College Classic Tournament with a strong showing against the No. 6 team in the nation, but in the end ended up dropping five of six games in the weekend tournament.

UTD led No. 6 DePauw (IN), 5-3, late, but could not hold on in a 7-5 loss to open the tournament. The Comets (6-10) then fell 9-4 to host Millsaps on Friday; dropped a 2-1 decision to Austin College Saturday afternoon before finally picking up a 12-3 win over Piedmont (GA); then faltered on the tournament's last day Sunday with a 4-3 loss in a rematch with Piedmont and 7-4 to Huntingdon (AL).

Senior shortstop Amber Griffin (pictured) was one of the few bright spots offensively (going 7-for-21 with a triple and home run) as UTD continually struggled to get a key hit in run-scoring situations. The Comets stranded 37 runners over the six games and were 19-for-57 with runners in scoring position. UTD also gave up seven unearned runs off 15 defensive errors.

#6 DEPAUW 7, UTD 5 (boxscore)

Senior Jana Cain threw one of her best games of the year and the Comets took a 5-3 lead over the nationally-ranked team from Depauw on a two-run Carter Ryan homerun in the top of the seventh. But DePauw, which had led early 3-0, rallied with a couple of unearned runs in the seventh to improve to 8-1.

MILLSAPS 9, UTD 4 (boxscore)

UTD fell behind early with a disastrous start. Millsaps plated seven runs in the first inning behind seven hits and a UTD error before the Comets could stop the damage. UTD was down 9-2 before getting a couple of runs back in the 5th off a 2-RBI double from Carter Ryan. Lyndsi Ayers hit a solo home run for the Comets in the 3rd.

AUSTIN COLLEGE 2, UTD 1 (boxscore)

It was the offense that deserted the Comets in the Saturday opener as UTD managed just three hits (all singles) and got just one unearned run. The Comets gave up just four hits, but a pair of errors led to two unearned runs from the Lady 'Roos.

UTD 12, PIEDMONT 3 (boxscore)

UTD finally got in the win column in their late game Saturday, handing Piedmont just its fourth loss of the season. The Comets jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the first two innings and eventually won by the "run rule" after five. UTD had a seven-hit 1st and RBI hits from five different players. Kristen Turner and Staci Sours were both 3-for-3 in the game.

PIEDMONT 4, UTD 3 (boxscore)

The Comets could not make it a sweep over Piedmont, stranding 10 runners in the rematch. The score was tied 2-2 going into the 4th, when Piedmont got a pair to go up 4-2. UTD answered in the 5th when Courtney Wright scored on a two-hit RBI single from Sours. The Comets had the tying run at second with one out in the 7th, but the game ended with a strikeout and fly ball.

HUNTINGDON 7, UTD 4 (boxscore)

A 4-1 lead in the 3rd was short-lived for UTD as Huntingdon put together a seven-hit, five-run inning and went ahead to stay. The Comets had four base runners in the fourth, but could not get any of them home. Carter Ryan hit her third home run of the year for UTD.