RICHARDSON, Texas – Megan Hooper put together a 5-for-7 day at the plate with a grand slam and six RBI, leading the way for the Concordia Texas softball team's explosive offensive performance as they won both games of the doubleheader and completed the series sweep against UT Dallas on Saturday.
 
In the first game of the day, the Tornados knocked the ball around UTD softball field, picking up 11 hits and earning a 10-3 victory.
 
Simone Langland earned the start in the circle for the Tornados, picking up the win after allowing only two runs and four hits while punching out six batters in six innings of work.  
 
The Tornados' offense produced early, jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the opening frame. Hooper led things off with a bunt single, and a fielder's choice from Erica Riley followed by a sacrifice bunt off the bat of Emily Schmuck set up an RBI groundout from Hailee Tinajero.
 
UT Dallas provided an answer in the following frame, and an RBI double made it a 1-1 game after one inning.
 
In the top of the second, Ashley Hallmark starting things off with a single and swiped second base to put herself in scoring position for an RBI single from Ashley Soto. After two, the Tornados led 2-1.
 
Concordia Texas continued to tack on runs, plating another in the third inning when a leadoff single from Schmuck came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Hallmark. The Tornados held a 3-1 lead heading into the fourth inning.
 
In the fourth inning, Schmuck delivered an RBI fielder's choice and Hooper scored on a wild pitch to tack on a pair of runs for the Tornados, and Tinajero peppered an RBI double down the line to put CTX ahead 6-1.
 
After a scoreless fifth frame, the Tornados picked up two hits and took advantage of four UTD errors to add three more runs to their total. Schmuck brought home a run on an RBI base knock, and Hallmark came through with a sacrifice fly to drive in another, putting CTX ahead 9-1.
 
UT Dallas cut into the lead in the bottom of the inning, adding a run on a solo homer to make it 9-2.
 
The Tornados added another insurance run in the top of the seventh as Emily Moses laced a one-out double to left center and Hooper brought her home with an RBI single. Heading into the final frame, the Tornados held a 10-2 advantage.
Lexi Bechtel entered the circle to close out the game in the seventh, suffering one run but shutting the door by striking out the final batter of the game. The Tornados took the first game of the day 10-3.
 
In the series finale, five different Tornados had a multi-hit game and CTX provided another offensive barrage, securing the sweep with a 10-4 victory.
 
Tisdale earned her second win of the weekend, throwing five innings of one-run ball and scattering six hits.
 
After a scoreless first inning, the Tornados were the first team on the board courtesy of an RBI double from Hallmark in the top of the second. Landrei Stafford followed this up with an infield single, loading the bases, and Hooper crushed a grand slam down the left field line. An RBI single off the bat of Cristina Ayala pushed another run across, and CTX jumped out to an early 6-0 lead.
 
UTD kept the Tornados' offense at bay for the following two frames, but Ayala started the top of the fifth by picking up a base knock and two stolen bases, taking advantage of a throwing error on the second to cross the plate for a CTX run. Then, Hallmark produced a sacrifice fly to drive in the second run of the inning, bringing the score to 8-0 in the top half of the fifth.
 
The Comets earned one run back in the bottom half of the inning thanks to an RBI single, and the score was 8-1 in favor of the Tornados after five.
 
Hooper picked up her fifth RBI of the game with a bunt single as Emily Lyons, who checked in as a pinch runner after Stafford after a single up the middle, came home to score and make it 9-1 Tornados in the top of the sixth.
 
UT Dallas would not go away, scoring two runs on four hits while taking advantage of a CTX error, but Bechtel worked out of the bases loaded jam to limit the damage. The Tornados lead shrunk to 9-3 heading into the final inning.
 
Hallmark added a last-inning insurance run for CTX, driving in Moses on an RBI single to give the Tornados a 10-3 cushion heading into the final frame.
 
The Comets led off their final at bat with a solo homer, but Bechtel retired the next three batters in order and Concordia Texas came out on top 10-4.
 
The Tornados will be back in action when they match up with cross-town rivals Southwestern for a doubleheader on Tuesday in Georgetown, Texas at 4 and 6 p.m.