RICHARDSON, TX (04.19.19) - UT Dallas senior second baseman Ryan Burciaga became the program's all-time RBI leader Friday afternoon as the Comets split a home doubleheader with Sul Ross State to open a three-game American Southwest Conference series. UTD dropped the series opener, 14-9, before out-slugging the Lobos, 18-9, in game two.

The Comets improved to 18-17 after the split and are now 10-7 in ASC play, currently sitting in sixth place in the standings with just four games left in the regular season. The Comets and Lobos (now 14-18, 10-10 ASC) will close out the three-game set at 12 p.m. Saturday at the UTD Baseball field.

Burciaga came into the weekend series just two RBI shy of the UTD program record of 122, held by former Comet great Trent Elizondo (2005-07). Not only did Burciaga break the record Friday, but smashed the old mark after going a combined 6-for-9 with 11 RBI, including a grand slam, in the pair of games with the Lobos. The four-year starter was 2-for-4 with five RBI in the opening game and followed up with a 4-for-5 performance with six RBI in the second game of the day, finishing a triple shy of the first cycle in UTD history. Burciaga now has 131 RBI in his four years with the program. The next UTD career record on Burciaga's radar is the total base mark of 304, held by Elizondo as well. Burciaga now has 297 total bases in his career, and is also now just one triple and six doubles shy of two more potential program records.

GAME 1 - SRSU 14, UTD 9
The Comets were chasing SRSU early and could not catch up as UTD dropped a 14-9 decision to the visiting Lobos in the first game of the weekend series.

The Lobos opened the game with a six-run top of the 1st and added three more runs each in the 2nd and 3rd frames. UTD got three runs back in the bottom of the 1st, thanks to a Burciaga two-run double, which tied Elizondo's career record, and another run on a Lobo error, but would trail 12-3 after three innings of play.

The Comets got two more runs in the 4th on a home run by Thomas Craig, his first of the day, and then plated four runs in the 6th, which included a bases-clearing triple by Burciaga that broke the program's RBI record. 

Craig finished the game 3-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBI as the duo of Craig and Burciaga accounted for five of the Comets' 10 hits in the loss.

GAME 2 - UTD 18, SRSU 9
Game two was a different story as the Comets would use the big inning to set the done and earn an 18-9 win over SRSU to force a rubber game on Saturday.

The Comets plated 13 runs all with two outs in the bottom of the 2nd and never looked back as they scored 18 runs on 21 hits, both the second most the season, en route to the lop sided win. UTD sent 16 batters to the plate in the 2nd, collecting nine hits. The Comets had three doubles and two home runs in their biggest single inning of the season.

UTD opened the scoring in the bottom of the 1st, however, with a Burciaga single to center, scoring lead-off hitter Matt Mikusek. Burciaga was then go 2-for-2 from the plate in the 2nd, adding an RBI double before a grand slam home run later in the frame. Austin Blanford added a two-run home run of his own in the 2nd while Craig and Aaron Fanning both picked up two-run doubles in the inning. The Comet also got RBI hits from Zach Jordan and Ryan Sloma in the 2nd.

Leading 14-2 in the 5th, the Comets got back to business with a pair of RBI singles by Blanford and Craig before Dylan Palmer drew a two-out bases-loaded walk to lift UTD to a 17-2 cushion. The Lobos got two runs back in the top of the 6th and then plated five runs on four hits in the 7th to draw within eight runs, 17-9. The Comets then completed the scoring with a solo homer by Craig, his team-leading ninth of the season, with one one in the bottom of the 7th.

Fanning was 5-for-6 in the game with four doubles, one shy of both the UTD and ASC single-game records, while Craig was 5-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored. Blanford finished 3-for-6 with three RBI and a run scored.

Brett Bihm (4-3) picked up the win, giving up nine runs on 11 hits in 6.2 innings of work in a start.