Comets Split w/ETBU To Hang In Race

UTD Gets Early Lead in Both, Doesn't Let Tigers Rally Twice

MARSHALL, TX - The UTD softball team kept its marginal post-season hopes alive Saturday with a doubleheader split on the road at East Texas Baptist.

The Comets, who jumped out to big early leads in both games, saw ETBU rally for an 8-7 win in the first game, but held off a Tiger rally in the second game for an 8-6 victory.

The split still leaves UTD (11-18, 5-9) with a one-game edge in wins for the American Southwest Conference East Division's third and final playoff spot in the end-of-year ASC Championship Tournament. The Comets, however, have four fewer ASC games remaining (10) than the other challengers in the division. ETBU (15-9) and Ozarks (11-11), both of whom split their season series with UTD, are each percentage points ahead of the Comets at 4-6 with 14 games remaining. UTD has yet to sweep a conference doubleheader this season.

Again, the Comets had a chance for their Saturday doubleheader at ETBU to end up as a sweep - either way. In the first game, UTD jumped out to an early 5-1 lead and had a 7-5 advantage going into ETBU's final at-bat before the Tigers rallied with a three-run 7th to take the win. In the second game, the Comets refused to let the same scenario repeat itself - jumping ahead 8-2 with a six-run explosion midway through the game, then stopping the Tiger rally after four late runs to hold on for the victory.

UTD had plenty of offense Saturday, pounding out 14 hits in both games. Carter Ryan and Courtney Wright (pictured above) were a combined 10-for-15 as the top of the order produced in both games. But ETBU kept pace with a 27-hit afternoon and helped the UTD cause by commiting three errors in each game.

BOXSCORES: GAME 1 | GAME 2