BROWNWOOD, TX (03.30.18) - After a close 6-4 win on Thursday afternoon to open a three-game American Southwest Conference series at Howard Payne, the UT Dallas baseball team split a pair of games with the Yellow Jackets on Friday to earn a series victory, 2-1.
The Comets grabbed an early lead in Friday's opener before falling to HPU, 8-6. UTD rebounded in the series finale with a 20-4 run-rule victory over the Yellow Jackets.
GAME 1 - HPU 8, UTD 6
The Comets plated five runs in the top of the 1st but could not hold on for the victory as they dropped an 8-6 decision to Howard Payne in Friday's first game.
UTD sent 11 batters to plate in the opening frame, collecting four hits along with three walks and a Yellow Jacket error to grab an early 5-0 advantage. The Comets opened the scoring with an RBI single by
Connor Scruggs, scoring
Ryan Burciaga, and tacked on a second run with an RBI single by
Dylan Palmer. Two batters later,
Rodney Corbin lifted the Comets to a 3-0 lead on a bases-loaded single through the left side of the HPU infield.
Peyton Becker then drew a bases-loaded walk for the Comets' fourth run of the frame and lead-off hitter
Josh Covey capped the scoring with an RBI infield single. The Comets could have added more runs in the frame, leaving the bases loaded.
The host Yellow Jackets threatened to erase the UTD lead in the bottom of inning, loading the bases with just one out. However, HPU managed just one run in the frame as UTD would take a 5-1 cushion to the 2nd inning.
HPU then plated four runs on three hits and two Comet errors in the 3rd inning to knot the game, 5-5. The Yellow Jackets then took their first lead of the series in the 4th, 7-5, with two runs.
The Comets drew back within a run in the top of the 5th as Corbin opened the frame with a triple to right and scored on a
Matt Mikusek infield single. However, UTD would leave the go-ahead run on base. HPU added an insurance run in the 5th.
Starter
Ruben Renteria (2-3) suffered the loss for UTD, giving up eight runs, three of which were earned, on nine hits with three strikeouts in 4.0 innings of work.
Josiah Rohne pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Renteria. The Comets managed seven hits off of three HPU hitters with Scruggs and Corbin each going 2-for-4.
GAME 2 - UTD 20, HPU 4 (7 inn.)
The Comets scored 11 runs in the top of the 7th en route to a 20-4, run-rule victory in the series finale at Howard Payne.
UTD jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the 1st after an RBI triple by
Barry Casey, followed by a sac fly by Scruggs. The Comets then added four runs in the 2nd as Becker, Mikusek and Casey each collected RBI hits and Scruggs added a second sac fly, giving UTD a 6-0 cushion. In the 3rd, the Comets pushed another run across on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Covey and an extra run on an HPU wild pitch, extending their lead to 8-0.
HPU plated two in the bottom of the 3rd to cut the lead to 8-2, but the Comets answered with a Casey RBI double in the 5th. The Yellow Jackets added two runs in the bottom of the 5th to draw within five runs, 9-4, before UTD exploded for 11 hits on just hits in the top of the 7th.
The Comets sent 16 batters to the plate in the 7th, Scruggs picked up three RBI on two hits in the frame while
Ryan Burciaga also had two hits in the frame, including a two-run double.
Cole Hanson (3-1) earned the victory, giving up four unearned runs on five hits, in 5.0 innings of work. Hanson struck out eight with three walks.
Tyler Keegan tossed the final two innings without a hit, recording four strikeouts.
The Comets had 17 hits, collecting 18 RBI throughout the lineup. Burciaga led the attack with a 4-for-6 performance with four runs scored and two RBI. Casey was 3-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored while Scruggs was 3-for-4 with five RBI.
Luke Richter was 3-for-5 with two runs scored.
NEXT GAME
The Comets (13-12, 8-4 ASC) return to action Tuesday for a non-conference mid-week contest at McMurry. First pitch is 3 p.m. in Abilene.
