RICHARDSON, Texas - Despite not allowing any extra-base hits, the LeTourneau University softball team could not overcome a five-run first inning by the University of Texas-Dallas in a 5-0 loss at the UTD Softball Field in Richardson, Texas on Thursday, March 29th.

With the loss, LETU is now 7-16 overall and 5-14 in the American Southwest Conference while the Comets won their third-straight game to improve to 12-11 overall and 8-5 in the ASC.

In a game that saw the YellowJackets put runners on base in five of the seven innings, it would be UTD that would take advantage of five singles and five stolen bases to jump out to a 5-0 lead after one inning of play. The top of the first inning saw LeTourneau collect back-to-back one out singles, but see a pair of runners stranded before allowing the Comets to take the lead in the bottom half of the inning.

LETU would then strand a leadoff single in the top of the second and a pair of runners in scoring position in the fourth, but manage to keep the deficit at five after retiring eight of the next nine Texas-Dallas batters. An Ethel Warren one-out double in the top of the fifth would put another runner in scoring position for the YellowJackets, but UTD once again would manage to get out of the inning unscathed. LeTourneau would get only one more chance to start a rally and cut into the Comet lead, stranding a runner at second in the sixth before going down in order in the seventh to drop the series opener.

Sophomore Julie Martinez struck out four batters, going the distance in the circle while allowing a total of seven hits and walking one batter. LETU's seven hits would be scattered across a total of seven batters, with Warren and senior Bailey Woodard collecting the only extra-base hits of the game. Junior Macey Mize would steal the only base of the game for LeTourneau, in addition to collecting a hit.

Tomorrow afternoon will feature a doubleheader between the YellowJackets and Comets, with first-pitch of game one scheduled for 12 p.m.