LONGVIEW, TX (04.10.10) – Emphatic, late-game home runs against LeTourneau cured UT Dallas' recent case of claustrophobia, something that has been onset by a tight playoff race in the American Southwest Conference East Division. Finally, after sweeping the Yellow Jackets on the road, the Comets have some breathing room.

The Comets (18-11, 6-5) supplanted the Ozarks from third place on Saturday, defeating LETU by scores of 5-3 and 8-5. The doubleheader, played at LETU's Conrad-Vernon Field, followed a Friday afternoon opener where UTD held on to an 8-6 win.

Yes, each win was registered by fewer than three runs. But a different kind of theme emerged on Saturday, when UTD was bolstered by clutch long balls that aided in securing the twin bill.

Randy Lorber's 6th-inning homer provided some insurance in the series finale, and Jason Diemer, who drove home the game-winning run against UT-Tyler on Monday, unleashed a towering grand slam that propelled the Comets to a victory in Saturday's first contested.

Both blasts served the same purpose as Kyle Guest's 9th-inning home run on Friday night -- they equipped the Comets with breathing room. And now, with a momentary lock on third place in the East, they have some.

Friday, April 9

GAME 1: UTD 8, LETU 6 (Box score)

Guest's solo home run in the 9th inning enabled UT Dallas to nab sole possession of fourth place in the East Division standings with an 8-6 win at LeTourneau, earning its first league victory since clipping No. 5 Mississippi back on March 13.

“It's just about being consistent,” said Shewmake. “We've talked about all the things we need to work on. Now it's a matter of going out and executing.”

On Friday, Guest and Grant Friddell each went 3-for-4 from the plate, Diemer added three base hits, and the Comets, batting an ASC-best .351 as a team, totaled 15 hits to fight off a resilient LETU (11-19, 2-8) squad.

UTD owned leads of 3-0, 5-2 and 7-3, but the Yellow Jackets never collapsed. In fact, had Cameron Brown and Mason Thompson not diffused LETU uprisings in the 7th and 8th innings, respectively, the Comets may have frittered away another late-game lead.

Brown (3-0) lasted seven innings on the mound, striking out three en route to polishing his spotless record this spring. Thompson, who is still recovering from a knee injury, pitched one inning of relief before Adam Spinn collected his eighth save of the season by throwing in the 9th.

UTD chased LETU starter Tyler Kaminski (1-3) after just 2 2/3 innings. He was replaced by relievers Travis Norris and Travis Self.

Saturday, April 10

GAME 2: UTD 5, LETU 3 (Box score)

With the score knotted at 1-1 in the top of the 7th, the final inning of Game 2, Diemer cleared the bases by mashing a game-altering grand slam. The homer, Diemer's third of the season, revitalized a Comets team that stalled through the opening six innings.

LETU boasted a scant 1-0 lead until the 5th, when Lorber's sac fly to left-center field brought home Guest to tie the score. The Yellow Jackets struck again in the bottom of the 9th, scratching across two runs against Spinn.

Despite allowing LETU's Nathan Tomaszewski to rap a solo home run in the opening frame, Larry Bolding (2-2) logged six innings of work. Spinn recorded his ninth save of the year, even though the Yellow Jackets made things interesting in the 7th.

Adam Hudec was 2-for-3 at the plate, Diemer finished 3-for-4, and the Comets finally broke loose against LETU starting pitcher Jeremy Burke (3-4), who exited after 6 2/3 innings after being pegged -- in the head -- by a Joseph Killgore line drive.

GAME 3: UTD 8, LETU 5 (Box score)

Friddell laced a pair of run-scoring doubles, upping his weekend RBI total to seven, Drew Hallford was 4-for-5 at the plate, and the Comets reclaimed their identity as of the ASC's offensive juggernauts in an 8-5 finale win.

It was Lorber, though, who played the role of spoiler, as the Yellow Jackets scored four unanswered runs in a span of two innings. In the top of the 6th, Lorber sent a smoldering, two-run homer over the center field fence to award the Comets with an 8-5 advantage. No additional scoring was needed. And LETU hardly threatened.

That was because Jonathan Reeder, once an ASC Pitcher of the Week selection, pitched four flawless innings in relief of starter Marvin Prestridge (3-0). Reeder forced the Yellow Jackets into a pair of 1-2-3 innings, striking out the side in bottom of the eight.

Prestridge lasted five innings, allowed four earned runs and tallied four strikeouts. Reeder fanned six LETU batters en route to picking up his first save of the year.