BELTON, TX (03.06.10) – UT Dallas mounted a come-from-behind win over Mary Hardin-Baylor on Friday, then prevented the Cru from surging back in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader. UTD won the opener of the series with an 11-8 rally, then took the first game of Saturday's doubleheader 14-10. The Cru prevented the sweep by prevailing, 12-4, in the series finale Saturday.

The three-game set was UTD's final non-conference tuneup before opening East Division play against the University of the Ozarks next weekend at home.

Friday, MARCH 5

UTD 11, UMHB 8 (Box score)

The Comets erupted for five runs in the 7th inning, five more in the 9th, and punched in an electrifying 11-8 comeback win over Mary Hardin-Baylor at Red Murff Field on Friday afternoon.

Now on a four-game winning stretch, UT Dallas (7-3) trailed UMHB 8-6 heading into the final inning of play. Matt Kelly singled to begin UTD's last-effort scoring binge, which included an RBI double from Derek Mott and a run-scoring single from Adam Hudec.

But it was Jacob Starnes' base hit that plated the two most pivotal runs in the game—the runs that gave the Comets a 10-8 lead. Joseph Killgore ushered Starnes across home plate later in the inning to provide a little more insurance before closer Adam Spinn recorded his third save of the year.

Starnes, who was batting .270 entering Friday's contest, turned in a 3-for-5 outing against the Cru. Kelly was also 3-for-5, while Killgore compiled four hits throughout the afternoon.

Starting pitcher Marvin Prestridge was chased after just three innings of work. He allowed three runs—all of which were earned—before his replacement, Max Willard, emerged from the bullpen only to help UMHB tack on five more scores. Leonard Wong (1-0), making his third appearance of the season, was issued the win for holding the Cru scoreless in the 7th and 8th innings.

The Comets will face UMHB in a doubleheader on Saturday, March 6 to complete a three-game series between the two schools, which locked horns in last Sunday's American Southwest Conference Men's Basketball Tournament Final. The series is UTD's final non-conference weekend matchup before opening ASC East Divisional play next weekend against  the University of the Ozarks.


Saturday, MARCH 6

UTD 14, UMHB 10 (Box score)

UTD cobbled togther 17 hits throughout, staving off UMHB's attempt to duplicate a late-game comeback that nearly mirrored what the Comets did in Friday's ball game. Grant Fridell and Drew Hallford each lifted homers in UTD's 14-10 win at Red Murff Field, where the Comets will push for its second straight three-game sweep over the Cru on Saturday afternoon.

UTD (8-3) held an 11-3 advantage as the bottom of the 6th inning approached. But UMHB truncated Mason Thompson's third start on the mound, bursting for five runs in the inning to cut UTD's lead to just three.

The Comets responded in the 7th, though, when Fridell deposited a solo shot over the left field wall, which was followed by Starnes' two-RBI single. UTD's clutch hitting pushed its lead to 14-8, a deficit that proved too much for the Cru in the bottom of the frame.

Thompson (3-0) logged 5 1/3 innings on Saturday before he was replaced by Spinn, who notched his fourth save of the season. Spinn earned ASC Pitcher of the Week honors two Mondays ago.

Hallford, Larry Bolding and Ryan Miner were credited with three hits apiece. So far this spring, 10 different Comets are batting over .300.

UTD 4, UMHB 12 (Box score)

The Cru piled up eight unanswered runs through the first five innings and never looked back, wiping out UTD (8-4) by a score of 12-4.

After racking up 25 runs in the first two games of the series, the Comets' bats went ice-cold. UTD was just 4 of 33 at the plate throughout as its five-game win streak vanished. Jonathan Reeder (1-3), the reigning ASC Pitcher of the Week, was saddled with his third loss of the season.

Reeder lasted just four innings before Wong, John Howard and Leonard Wong all threw in relief. Reeder was responsible for half of UMHB's runs.

Hallford's double in the 7th inning was UTD's only extra-base hit of the series finale. The Comets stranded nine runners and commited just one error in the field.