ABILENE, TX (03.05.11) - The UT Dallas baseball team came to life late in Game 3 of a weekend series with Hardin-Simmons to claim a 10-3 victory Saturday afternoon, and avoided a sweep by the Cowboys in the three-game series. The Comets dropped a 9-4 decision Friday night, then fell 2-1 in the first game of a double header Saturday.

SATURDAY BOX SCORES: GAME 1 | GAME 2  (Details available later tonight)

FRIDAY: HSU 9, UTD 4 (BOX SCORE)
The Comets committed five costly errors on their way to a 9-4 loss in the series opener Friday night.

UTD fell 2-1 in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader. (DETAILS TO COME)

The Comets (now 8-4) got off to a good start, scoring a run in the top of the first inning on a RBI single by senior Grant Friddell, scoring senior Jason Diemer. But, HSU (now 8-3) answered in the bottom of the frame with a run to knot the game, 1-1, with an RBI single by Troy Tarrant.

UTD regained the lead in the third with a pair of runs to grab a 3-1 advantage. Junior Kyle Guest plated Diemer with a sacrifice fly to centerfield and then sophomore Jake Wyand came home on a bunt single by senior Clint Dunham. The Cowboys would take advantage of their first UTD error of the game in the bottom of the third when Tarrant used a sacrifice fly to score teammate Brian Weeks. HSU then added three runs in the fourth frame, on three Comet errors to take the lead for good, 5-3. In the inning, Jay Hiller had a two-run double and Taylor Berlin added an RBI single.

The Comets would draw within a run in the top of the seventh when junior Jacob Starnes scored on a sacrifice fly by Friddell. But UTD would not take advantage of three hits in the inning as the Comets left two on base in the frame. HSU got the run back in the bottom of the seventh on a single by Cody Jarboe and then added three unearned runs in the eighth to pull away for the win.

Junior right-hander Marvin Prestridge (3-1) was handed his first loss of the season, giving up five runs (two of which were earned) on eight hits in 4.0 innings of work, his shortest outing of the season. Prestridge struck out two Cowboys while issuing three walks. Junior Larry Bolding following with a 3.0-inning relief appearance, giving up one run on three hits, while junior Ryan Miner tossed the eighth frame, giving up three unearned runs on two hits.

Diemer led the Comet offense going 3-for-5 from the plate with two runs scored while freshman Tyler Hobbs (2-of-4) and Starnes (2-for-5) each had multi-hit games. Friddell ended the game 1-for-3 with two RBI.

SATURDAY GAME 1: HSU 2, UTD 1 (BOX SCORE )

The first game of the Saturday doubleheader began as a pitching dual, and ended in another disappointment for the Comets.

UTD starter T.J. Barnes was almost untouchable, but HSU's Trevor Stringer did him one better. Neither team could break through offensively for the first 4.5 innings until HSU finally got on the board in the bottom of the 5th.

Barnes gave up a leadoff double and HSU was able to push across two runs after an error and wild pitch opened the door. Down 2-0, the Comets got one back in the 6th when Jake Wyand managed a two-out double and scored on a Grant Friddell single. Friddell ended the inning, though, trying to stretch the hit into a double. The Comets went quietly in the 7th to end the game.

Barnes surrendered just six hits and gave up only one earned run, but Stringer bettered him with a four-hit showing.

GAME 2: UTD 10, HSU 3 (BOX SCORE)

UTD finallly picked up a win in the series by scoring seven runs in the 6th and 7th to break open a 3-3 tie.

The Comets jumped on the Cowboys early, scoring three in their first at-bat of the game. Fridell, Clint Dunham & Garet Norton all delivered RBI hits to give UTD an early 3-0 lead. HSU, however, answered against Comet starter Derek Dallas with single runs in the first three frames to tie the score.

In the 6th, UTD reclaimed the lead with three unearned runs off three hits and a pair of HSU errors. Matt Olsewski and Diemer both drove in runs to give UTD a 6-3 advantage.

The Comets then put the game out of reach with a 4-run, 4-hit inning in the 7th. The Cowboys threw in another two errors and a wild pitch for good measure. Norton and Tyler Hobbs contributed RBI hits for the Comets.

Dallas went the entire nine innings and settled down after the first three innings. He was charged with eight hits, but just one earned run and struck out nine.

The Comets will return to Abilene Tuesday for games against Kansas Wesleyan and a rematch with HSU.