RICHARDSON, TX (03.16.19) - UT Dallas freshman left-hander Ryan Vera recorded his first collegiate shutout Saturday afternoon as he pitched the Comets to a 3-0 win over reigning NCAA Division III National Champion UT Tyler to open a home doubleheader with the Patriots.

After dropping three-game series opener to UTT on Friday, the Comets turned to their freshman to even the set and he delivered with a three-hit complete game to start Saturday's twin bill. However, the Comets (8-13) dropped the series finale to UTT, 5-1, to close the weekend set.

The Comets return to the diamond Tuesday afternoon with a non-conference single game with Southwestern. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at the UTD Baseball Field.

GAME 1 - UTD 3, UTT 0
Vera struck out three Patriots without issuing a walk as he improved to 2-1 in his first collegiate season in the Comets' 3-0 win over UT Tyler to open Saturday's doubleheader.

The Friendswood native retired the first five batters he face before giving up a second-inning single. The visiting Patriots threatened to open the scoring in the top of the 2nd with runners on the corners, but Vera was able to catch a UTT runner attempting to steal home with two outs. Vera would retire the Patriots in order in four of seven innings during the Comets' third shutout of the season.

The Comets opened the scoring in the 4th with a one-out RBI single to center by Ryan Burciaga, scoring Jacob Perry from second base. Perry opened UTD's half of the frame with a double down the left field line. Burciaga would later score on a Patch Healy sacrifice fly, giving the Comets a 2-0 cushion after four innings. UTD tacked on an insurance run in the 6th on second sac fly by Healy, scoring Perry.

The Comets finished the quick victory with just six hits of their own with Burciaga and Matt Mikusek each going 2-for-3 from the plate.

GAME 2 - UTT 5, UTD 1
The Comets managed just three hits in the series finale as UT Tyler rolled to a 5-1 win in Saturday's second game, to take the weekend series two games to one.

UTT starter Austin Schneider fanned 10 Comets in 7.0 innings of work, giving up just a solo home run by UTD freshman Zach Jordan to lead off the bottom of the 7th. Patriots' reliever Matthew McMillan tossed the final two frames, striking out three batters.

The Comets collected their first hit in the bottom of the 1st frame on a Burciaga two-out single up the middle, but UTD could not grab an early lead. The Patriots would start the scoring with a single run in the 3rd before adding two runs in the 6th and another in the 7th to grab a 4-0 lead before Jordan's second long ball of the series. UTT added a final run in the top of the 8th on a Graham Welch solo shot, his second of the game and fourth of the weekend.

Comet starter Brett Bihm (1-3) lasted just 3.2 innings, giving up one ru n on four hits with a pair of strikeouts.