AUSTIN, TX (04.01.16) - The UT Dallas baseball team took a big step in climbing back into the American Southwest Conference post-season picture by rallying late for a 7-3 win over conference leader Concordia-Texas Friday night in the first game of a weekend series.

UTD (12-10, 4-6 ASC) broke open a 3-3 tie with four runs in the top of the 9th inning, sending eight hitters to the plate and getting a 2-RBI double from Brandon George to spark the big inning. With the loss, the Tornados slipped to  15-10, 7-3 in ASC play.

The two teams will meet in a doubleheader Saturday afternoon, starting at 1 pm.

With the rally, the Comets made a winner out of starting pitcher Aaron Bach (3-4), who went 8.0 strong innings, holding the Tornados to just six hits and two earned runs. He threw three different 3-up, 3-down innings late and did not allow a run after the 2nd inning. Brandon Koncaba tossed a perfect 9th, striking out two CTX batters.

David McKenzie paced the Comets with a 3-for-5 night at the plate, but it was senior Brandon George, who broke an 0-for-4 start to the game with a 2-RBI double for the final two runs in the 9th. Tim Cole, another key player in the four-run rally, was 2-for-4.

UTD was down to its final two outs in the 9th when it loaded the bases with a Mitch Barati walk, an error on a Josh Covey ground ball and an intentional walk to Jimmy Norris. Barati scampered home with the go-ahead run on a passed ball while Cole was in the middle of a 10-pitch at-bat. Cole eventually outlasted the CTX pitcher, sending an RBI single to left field to bring home Covey. George then went deep to left to score the final two runs.

Concordia led early, building a 3-0 lead in the first two frames. The first two scored on a 1st inning error after a pair of hits; then a leadoff single in the 2nd came around to make it 3-0.

The Comets cut it to a one-run game in the 3rd, finally getting on the board with Covey and Norris opening with singles, then runs scoring on a George groundout and a McKenzie RBI single to right center. Barati then led off the 7th with a walk and came home to tie the game on another CTX error.