RICHARDSON, TX (03.02.19) - The UT Dallas baseball team had the game-winning run at the plate with one out in the bottom of the 9th but could not pull off the comeback as the Comets fell to Hardin-Simmons, 5-4, Saturday afternoon to close a three-game American Southwest Conference series.

The Comets (6-8, 1-2 ASC) split a twin bill with HSU on Friday to kick off league play, falling in the series opener, 6-2, before claiming a 3-0 win in the second game of the day. UTD returns to action Tuesday with a 6 p.m. non-conference contest at Southwestern.

UTD opened the scoring with a single run in the bottom of the 1st when lead-off hitter Matt Mikusek came home on a Ryan Burciaga sacrifice fly to right. The Cowboys evened the game with a run in the 3rd and took a 3-1 lead in the 6th.

Peyton Becker would draw a bases-loaded walk with no outs in the bottom of the 8th to cut the HSU lead down to a single run, 3-2, but the Comets were not able to do any more damage thanks to a pop up and a double play. The Cowboys responded with two runs in the top of the 9th on a Weston Hickman triple to extend their lead to 5-2.

With runners on second and third with just one out in the bottom of the frame, Aaron Fanning delivered a two-run single to center, scoring Jacob Perry and Burciaga, to draw the Comets back within a run. But HSU closer Chase Buchannan picked up a strikeout and a pop up to earn the save and give HSU the series.

Orion Drymond (0-2) had a solid performance on the mound for the Comets giving up two earned runs on six hits in 6.0 innings of work. He would strike out three Cowboys without issuing a walk. Becker finished 2-for-3 while Burciaga was 2-for-4. Mikusek was 2-for-5.