Richardson, Texas – The Mount Saint Mary College Softball team played its first of three doubleheaders in the Lone Star State on Monday, dropping 8-2 and 6-1 decisions at UT Dallas. Junior Amanda Almodovar (Goshen, N.Y.) drove in two runs in the opener, with Courtney Barbara (Fishkill, N.Y.) delivering the Mount's lone run in game two.
 
Game 1: UT Dallas 8 – Mount Saint Mary 2
The Knights jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the Comets in the fourth inning in game one, recording a pair of hits and taking advantage of a UT Dallas error. After Barbara reached on an error, Bridget Bennet (Gardiner, N.Y.) walked and Nicolette Moustouka (Seaford, N.Y.) singled to load the bases, Almodovar shot a single down the left field line to break a scoreless tie and move the Mount in front 2-0.
 
The two run lead held until the Comets erupted for five runs in the home half of the fifth inning. Seven of the first eight batters of the inning reached safely, including a two-run home run off the bat of Amber Williams to push UT Dallas 3-2 with one out in the inning. Following a fly out to the second batter of the frame, the Comets recorded six straight hits, including the home run and a two-run double from Samantha Halliburton.
 
UT Dallas added to its lead and closed out the scoring with three runs in its final at-bat of game one. Lauryn Manning doubled home the team's sixth run before Halliburton drove home two more runs with a double.
 
Six different Knights recorded a hit in game one, with Almodovar going 1-for-4 with a stolen base and two RBI. Moustouka finished 1-for-2 with a steal with Barbara finishing the game with a base hit and a run scored.
 
Elizabeth Brann rounded out game one 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI for the Comets with Stefanie Polderman going 3-for-3 with a pair of runs. Halliburton finished with two doubles and four RBI for the Comets in the win.
 
Senior Cindy Connoly (Walden, N.Y.), named the Skyline Conference Pitcher of the Week earlier on Monday, suffered the loss in the circle and fell to 2-2 on the season. She allowed eight runs on 14 hits, while striking out four in 5.2 innings. Allie Stephens earned her third win of the year after allowing two unearned runs on four hits and struck out five.
 
Game 2: UT Dallas 6 – Mount Saint Mary 1
The Comets broke a scoreless tie in the third inning on a RBI bunt single from Brann and doubled the advantage in the fourth when Brann walked in her second RBI of the game.
 
Mount Saint Mary sliced the disadvantage in half with its only run in the sixth inning on an RBI hit from Barbara with two outs in the inning. After Kathryn Eiler (Merrick, N.Y.) and Connoly singled, Barbara singled down the right field line to deliver pinch runner Alyssa Hernandez (Middletown, N.Y.).
 
Leading 2-1, UT Dallas tallied four times in the home half of the sixth inning to pull away for the sweep. Halliburton was in the middle of the rally again with a two-run single, with Emily Schroeder chasing home the final two runs of the game with a triple.
 
Barbara and Lauren Oury (Bethpage, N.Y.) each finished game two 2-for-3 for the Knights with Eiler, Connoly and Morgan O'Neill (Little Falls, N.J.) recording the other hits for the Mount.
 
UT Dallas featured four players with at least two hits in game two, led by a 3-for-3 effort from Schroeder and received two RBI each from Brann, Halliburton and Schroeder.
 
Bennet suffered the loss for the Knights in game two and fell to 1-2 on the season. She surrendered six walks in the game, allowing five earned runs on 11 hits while striking out two. Karen Crane went the distance for the Comets in earning her seventh win of the season, allowing a single run on seven hits.
 
At 4-4 overall on the season, Mount Saint Mary returns to action on Tuesday when it takes on #3 Texas Tyler. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. CDT.