LONGVIEW, TX (04.30.16) - In a game that started just after 2 p.m. Friday afternoon, the UT Dallas baseball team wrapped up its American Southwest Conference series opener at LeTourneau late Saturday with a 4-3 defeat.

The Comets (now 20-17, 9-13 ASC) will return to the diamond at 1 p.m. Sunday for a doubleheader with the YellowJackets to wrap up the three-game set. Despite the loss, however, the Comets secured a berth into an eighth straight ASC Tournament next weekend, thanks to a little help from the rest of the league.

UTD opened the contest Friday afternoon with two runs in the top of the 1st but would trail the host YellowJackets, 3-2, when the game was suspended due to weather in the bottom of the 4th. Upon resumption play at 7 p.m. Saturday, the Comets evened the game, 3-3, in the top of the 5th before LETU pushed across the game-winning run in the 8th.

The Comets got two runs on a single by Nick Marti in the 1st frame, plating Tim Cole and Brandon George, and knotted the contest in the 5th when Cole reached on a one-out bunt single and advanced to third base on a LETU error. Cole then came home on a George ground out to shortstop. UTD had the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position in the top of the 9th, but could not get them home.

Cole finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored, picking up two of the Comets five hits in the two-day contest. Marti was 1-for-3 with two RBI.