RICHARDSON, TX (03.19.16) - After a rough start to the series Friday afternoon, the UT Dallas baseball team was extremely close to pulling of a Saturday sweep of No. 18-ranked Texas-Tyler to close out the three-game American Southwest Conference series.
The Comets (now 8-9, 3-6 ASC) opened Saturday with an 8-6 win over UTT before their rally fell just short in the series finale, 11-10. UTD returns to action Friday when the Comets host Texas Lutheran for a 1 p.m. non-conference doubleheader at the UTD Baseball Field.
Game 1 - UTD 8, UTT 6The Comets belted out 12 hits as they bounced back from Friday's 11-6 loss to upend the Patriots, 8-6, in the first game of Saturday's twin bill.
UTD scored in every inning except the 2nd, including two runs each in the 4th, 5th and 6th, to pull away for the victory. Down 3-2 in the 4th, with a two-out, two-run single by
Tim Cole, scoringÂ
Josh Covey and
Jimmy Norris, to give UTD the lead for good.
The Comets used a two-run double by
Mitch Barati in the 5th and RBI hits by both
Brandon George and
Nick Marti in the 6th.
Brandon Lee (2-1) picked up the win as the Comet started pitched into the 5th of the shot seven-inning game. Lee struck out five and scattered seven hits. Norris finished the game 2-for-3 with a double and a triple while
David McKenzie and Barati were also 2-for-3 and George was 2-for-4.
Game 2 - UTT 11, UTD 10The Comets had the winning run at the plate despite trailing four runs in the 9th before the guest Patriots closed the series win with a UTD game-ending double play.
Down 11-7 in the bottom of the 9th, George opened the Comets half of the frame with a double off the wall, his second hit of the game. After McKenzie was hit by a pitch, Marti loaded the bases with a single to left. Two batters later, pinch hitter
Brandon Smith clawed the Comets within a run with a bases-clearing double to deep left center. However, the game would end on a Barati laser that was snagged by UTT second baseman Blake Wilson and pinch runner, and potential game-tying runner,
Rodney Corbin was doubled off second base.
UTD opened the scoring with a three-run 2nd frame, using three hits and the first of two Patriot errors. After leadoff double by McKenzie and bunt single by Marti, Cole gave UTD an early 1-0 lead with a double to left center.
Haden Johnson then plated Marti with a sacrifice fly and Cole scored on a wild pitch. UTT, however, countered with three runs in the 4th and two more in the 5th to take a 5-3 lead.
In the 6th, Barati cut the UTT lead to a single run with a single to left, scoring Cole. But, again the Patriots countered with a five-run 7th and a final run in the 8th to take an 11-4 lead. The Comets would use three hits and the second Patriot error in the 8th to climb back within four runs. Covey single in Marti and then both Covey and Marti came home on a two-out fielding error by UTT.
Marti finished the game 4-for-5 with three runs scored while Barati was 3-for-4. The Comets ended the series finale with 15 hits.
