RICHARDSON, TX (04.11.17) - The No. 13-ranked UT Dallas baseball team plated four runs in the opening inning but struggled offensively the rest of the contest as the Comets dropped an 8-5 decision to Concordia Texas Tuesday afternoon in non-conference play.

The Comets (22-8) will look to bounce back later this week when they the host Louisiana College in a three-game American Southwest Conference series, starting Thursday with a single game at 2 p.m. The two teams will then play a 12 p.m. doubleheader Friday at the UTD Baseball Field.

The visiting Tornados (19-11) loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the 1st, but the UTD defense limited CTX to just one run in the frame. The Comets then scored four runs on four hits in the bottom of the inning to take a 4-1 lead and would hold a 5-3 advantage after the three innings of play. However, the Tornados scored five more times over the final five innings to rally and pull away for the victory.

Down 1-0 in the 1st, the Comets knotted the game on an RBI double by Connor Scruggs, scoring Josh Covey, with one out. Luke Richter then plated both Isaiah Swann and Scruggs two pitches later with a single up the middle to lift UTD to a 3-1 lead. The Comets added a two-out double down the left field line by Michael Morton, scoring Richter, to complete a four-run 1st inning. 

After CTX plated a run each in the 2nd and 3rd frames, the Comets extended their lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the 3rd with Patch Healy RBI single, scoring Scruggs. The Tornados would score once in the 5th, twice in the 6th and a run each in the 7th and 9th innings to complete the scoring. UTD did not move a runner past second base after the 3rd inning.

The Comets tossed nine pitchers in the loss, one per inning, with Jonathan May (1-3) suffering the loss after giving up the lead in the 6th. UTD collected 10 hits off of five Tornados hurlers with Richter finishing 2-for-3 and Scruggs and Morton each going 2-for-4.