RICHARDSON, TX (03.07.09) – The UT Dallas baseball team came up just short in sweeping their American Southwest Conference East Division-opening series with Louisiana College, but won the series nonetheless.
UTD won the Friday opener, 12-4, before splitting a Saturday doubleheader, 6-7 and 8-3.
The series win was revenge for the Comets (10-7, 2-1), who dropped three straight one-run games to the Wildcats last year, effectively ending their hopes of post-season in 2008. But the Comets responded by keeping the pressure on LC throughout the series this season.
The series was a big one for designated hitter
Adam Hudec, who was a combined 7-for-11 during the series; and second baseman
Chris Biguenet, who was 5-for-8 with five RBIs before leaving the third game with an illness.
UTD 12, LC 4 (boxscore)
.jpg" alt="" />A three-run first-inning home run from Biguenet highlighted a five-hit attack that got the Comets off to a hot start against the Wildcats. After LC had pulled to within 7-4 in the 6th, Hudec delivered a 2-RBI single to lead the way to three more runs and the Comets relied on effective relief pitching from
Jonathan Reeder and
Tim Flasik (who did not give up a hit) to close the door.
Mason Thompson improved to 2-0 by picking up the win as he spread nine hits and four strikeouts over 6.1 innings of work. The Comets got a 4-for-4 game from DH
Adam Hudec, who drove in three runs. Biguenet,
Randy Lorber and
Cody Ross combined for seven hits and 6 runs scored.
LC 7, UTD 6 (boxscore)
The Comets almost pulled off the series sweep by rallying from a 7-3 deficit in the final inning of the 7-inning middle game of the series. But UTD had dug itself too deep a hole after giving up four unearned runs off four errors.
Down 3-0 in the bottom of the 5th, the Comets got two back on back-to-back RBI hits from Hudec and
Johnnie Martinez. Biguenet led off the 6th with a double, and scored on an RBI single from
Randy Lorber. In the 7th,
Jared Smith reached on an error and scored, then
Grant Fridell delivered a big 2 RBI double to close the gap before a strikeout ended the rally one run short.
UTD 8, LC 3 (boxscore)
UTD clinched the series win by jumping on the scoreboard early. Smith and Martinez each homered in the 1st inning to post the Comets to a 2-0 edge, then Ross sent one out to make it 4-1 after three. A Friddell RBI single drove home another run in the 6th, then the Comets put it out of reach with three more in the 7th on three straight hits from the middle of the order.
Starter
Damion Chelakis gave up just two earned runs in a five-inning start to get the win, but
Jonathan Reeder was spectacular again in relief, striking out five in four shuout innings and giving up just a infield dribbler and a bloop that fell just over the infield in the wind.
