UTD Sweeps Softball in Home Opener for Sunday
IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas softball team (1-3) fell in both contests of its home-opener on Sunday versus University of Texas at Dallas. The first game went to UTD (2-0) by an 8-4 final, before the Orange and Green secured a sweep of the twinbill with a 9-1 win.
After the Lady Crusaders claimed a shutout on Saturday at LeTourneau, the most recent trio of affairs have gone in favor of the opposition.
In the first game at home on the campaign in front of a full crowd, each squad was able to post 10 hits apiece.
Leading the Navy and White with a three-hit contest was freshman Madison Goforth (Tyler, Texas). The third baseman reached safely in four out of seven at bats combined on the day. Junior Erin Begle (Houston, Texas) claimed a pair of two-hit performances in both games against UTD.
In the early contest, Begle notched one of those knocks for a triple to get the Lady Crusaders on the scoreboard with an RBI plating sophomore Allison Kotlar (Edna, Texas). That three-bagger occurred in the bottom of the third inning, and nipped at a six-run deficit.
The Comets struck first with a two-run second inning, and then opened the scoring with a crooked number in the top of the third. A one-out double and single on back-to-back plate appearances set the table for the road team. A fielding error loaded them, and then a wild pitch and triple that cleared everyone a pitch following to Saro Navarro extended the edge to Texas-Dallas.
Two more runs propelled the Comets to an 8-1 margin, but the home unit battled at nipping things to a four points in the bottom of the sixth. A trio of batters scoring brought the teams to the final.
In UD's most productive frame of the afternoon, Begle and Goforth chipped in back-to-back hits. Sophomore Lyda Tesauro (Hollywood, Fla.) brought one in with a double in right centerfield. It was the team's other extra base hit in the setback.
After a strikeout, senior Taylor Garcia (Plugerville, Texas) tattooed a single down the right field line to get both Begle and Tesauro to scampered around the diamond and brought the deficit to what the eventual final score would be on the Lady Crusaders' final out.
Sophomore Katie Lee (1-2) from Houston, Texas, was saddled with a loss for Dallas after going seven innings with eight runs allowed (five earned), 10 hits given up, and two punch outs to go with three walks.
Her counterpart was Sara Davison (1-0) who danced around late drama to hold things in place until Megan Aragones for UTD wrapped the final outs out. In six innings, Davison fanned six hitters, walked one, and scattered nine hits.
The nightcap was difficult to halt, as the Green and Orange pounded nine runs off of 12 hits. Texas-Dallas compiled a five-run advantage, before the Lady Crusaders tacked its only scoring play in the 5th inning as Begle kept her strong weekend up with the squad's RBI of the defeat.
She added her second multi-hit game with another pair of hits occurring in the earlier ballgame. Sophomore Avery Finch was perfect in the contest with a 2-of-2 effort.
UD tallied six hits, while Dallas-of-Texas scorched 12 in the game.
Freshman Elizabeth Symnanski (Wilmington, VT) gave up nine runs (12 earned), 12 hits, four walks, and two strikeouts. Lauren McLeod tossed five innings for the Comets and Taylor Nabors each helped the road team seal a triumph.
NEXT OPPONENT:
Dallas continues a six-game home stretch with Sul Ross State University on Feb. 15. The doubleheader is a venue change, but does makeup the cancellation at SRSU last weekend due to weather. First pitch is at 11 a.m.