RICHARDSON, TX (03.27.12) - Daniel Saxon used a one-out bunt single in the 10th inning to squeeze home the winning run as the UT Dallas baseball team outlasted Texas Wesleyan, 5-4, Tuesday afternoon in non-conference action.
The Comets (now 17-11) picked up their third straight mid-week win as they scored a run in the 9th to force extra frames and earned their first extra-inning win of the season thanks to Saxon's squeeze bunt.
UTD returns to American Southwest Conference East Division play this weekend with a three-game series at division co-leader Louisiana College. The two teams will play one game at 6 p.m. Friday followed by a 12 p.m. doubleheader Saturday in Pineville.
With one out in the 10th Tuesday,
Eli Settoon reached base with an infield single and
Kaleb Robinson gave the Comets runners at the corners with a followup single, bringing Saxon to the plate. After a first-pitch ball, Saxton squared around and put down a perfect squeeze bunt down the first-base line, giving Settoon plenty of time to score from third.
The Rams (now 26-11) opened the scoring in the 1st inning without getting a ball out of the infield. After an infield single to lead-off the game, Taylor Jockers stole second and moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Christian Soberanes. Jockers then came home on a Comet error on a ground ball by Jake Barnes to right side to take an early 1-0 lead.
UTD answered in the 2nd with a pair of runs to grab a 2-1 advantage. After back-to-back singles by Settoon and Robinson open the frame,
Jacob Starnes picked up a pair of RBI with a two-out single laced up the middle. The Comets added another run in the 4th as Robinson led off the inning with his third home run of the season.
Texas Wesleyan knotted the game in the 5th with a two-run triple down the right field line by Alex Padilla, scoring Soberanes and Barnes, and regained the lead, 4-3, in the top of the 7th on a Padilla sacrifice fly, scoring Barnes again. The Comets tied the game in the bottom of the 9th on a double that bounced over third base to bring
Braden Torrez home from second base.
Max Willard (1-1) earned the win as he tossed the final 2.0 innings, retiring the Rams in order in both the 9th and 10th. UTD used six pitchers in the game with starter T.J. Dauer tossing the first two innings, giving up one run on two hits with a pair of strikeouts.
Alex Kuhn tossed a scoreless 3rd before Zack Dickson gave up two runs on three hits in 2.0 innings on the mound.
T.J. Barnes tossed a hitless 6th and
Chase Knight threw 2.0 innings, allowed one run on one hit.
Anderson finished the game 4-for-5 with an RBI while Robinson was 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Settoon was 2-fof-4 with two runs scored and Saxon finished the game 1-for-2 with an RBI, entering the game defensively in the 9th.
For TWU, Ram closer Patrick Stanley (1-2) was handed the loss, giving up one run on four hits in 1.1 innings of work. Starter Jacob Lyons tossed 4.0 innings, giving up three runs on six hits with one strikeout and a walk. Blake Ballard tossed 1.2 scoreless innings before giving way to Nolan Barbee, who gave up a run without giving up a hit in 2.1 innings on the mound.
BOX SCORE
