GRAND PRAIRIE, TX (02.11.17) - A pair of 8th inning home runs - including an inside-the-park score by junior Josh Covey - lifted the UT Dallas baseball team to a dramatic 7-5 win Saturday over 2016 American Southwest Conference finalist Hardin-Simmons at The Ballpark at Grand Prairie.

Trailing 5-4 and down two outs in the 8th, Covey sent a rocket to the right field corner where it bounced around before HSU right fielder Cody Berryman could corral the ball and fire back to the infield. The relay throw to the plate seemingly arrived in time to prevent Covey from tying the score, but a hard slide knocked the ball loose from Cowboy catcher Dylan Sweeney. Losing pitcher Ty Englehart, who had given up just one other hit in a 2-inning relief appearance, then hit Ryan Burciaga with the next pitch to end his day. UTD first baseman Barry Casey followed by greeting closer Ryan Johnson with a two-run home run over the left-center field wall to score the winning runs.

With the win, the Comets improve to 2-0 to start the season while HSU fell to 1-1. UTD is back in action Sunday afternoon at 1 pm against Texas Lutheran to finish up the opening weekend tournament.

The Cowboys took an early lead, scoring the game's first run with their first three hitters; but UTD starter Ruben Renteria settled down after that and went six solid innings, giving up just three more hits while striking out eight HSU hitters with just one walk. After giving up another run in the 6th, Renteria got a potential win opportunity when UTD scored four runs in the bottom of the frame to go up, 4-2, again with a two-out rally. The Comets knocked out six straight singles, chasing HSU starter Garrett Alexander.

But a disastrous start to the top of 7th erased the lead. A leadoff homer and deep single to lead off the inning set the stage for a pair of misplayed sacrifice bunts that both went for singles and loaded the bases with no one out.. Reliever Brandon Koncaba came to the rescue, though, getting the final three outs while allowing just two runs on a fielders choice and sacrifice fly. Going into the bottom of the 8th, HSU was up 5-4 and got two quick outs before the Comet rally.

UTD, which had 19 hits in its Friday opener, tallied 14 more in the second outing. Burciaga, Casey and DH Alex Stack each finished with three hits while Burciaga, Casey and Covey all drove in two runs each.