RICHARDSON, TX (04.05.19) – The UT Dallas baseball team made what it hopes will be a big move forward in climbing back into the American Southwest Conference post-season picture by sweeping a doubleheader from The University of the Ozarks Friday afternoon, 4-2 and 11-6.
 
With the pair of wins, the Comets (12-16 overall) improved to 5-6 in ASC play, moving just past the Eagles (12-17, 6-8) into eighth place in the standings. The two teams will square off in the final game of the weekend series at 12 noon Saturday, weather permitting. (Start since changed to 2 pm)

The DH sweep was UTD's first of the season, and put the Comets on a modest three-game win streak.
 
In the opening doubleheader Friday, UTD rode a stellar pitching performance from Blake DiValerio and Logan McPherson to the 4-2 win; then pounded four Eagle pitchers for 14 hits in the 11-4 nightcap.
 
Senior Ryan Burciaga was 5-for-6 combined in the two games, scoring two runs and driving in five...and had an inside-the-park home run.
 
GAME ONE: UTD 4, OZARKS 3
 
The Comets pulled out the 4-2 win in the opener despite managing just three base hits in the seven-inning game. Ozarks, however, contributed a pair of errors to the effort, opening the door to a big three-run outburst in the 1^st.
 
With two outs in the opening frame, Dylan Palmer reached on a fielding error by the Eagles third baseman with two runners on. The error allowed the game's first run to come home. Then, freshman Taylor Jordan ripped a pitch down the left field line that brought two runs in, giving the Comets an early 3-0 advantage.
 
But Ozarks answered in the fourth with a two-run home run by Zach Stanley that made it a one-run game. Ryan Burciaga then gave the Comets an insurance run in the 6^th, drawing a walk and moving around the bases on a sacrifice bunt, a wild pitch and a sacrifice foul fly ball to right field.
 
DiValerio (3-3) earned the win with a five-inning start, striking out three and allowing just three hits. McPherson pitched the last two innings of scoreless ball to earn his third save of the year.
 
GAME TWO: UTD 11, OZARKS 6
 
In the second game, it was the UTD offense that turned a close matchup into a one-sided win when the Comets broke open a 6-6 tie with a five-run 8^thinning.
 
One of four Ozarks errors in the game opened the door in the final at-bat. After a Jordan single to open the inning, the Eagles pitcher attempted to throw out the lead runner at second base, but the shortstop dropped the throw. A second sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third with one out. Matt Mikusek brought home the go-ahead run with a single, then UTD took an 8-6 lead on a sacrifice fly. Thomas Craig and Burciaga both followed with RBI singles through the left side. A fifth run scored on the second error of the inning to give UTD the 11-6 edge with just three outs remaining.
 
With the score tied 1-1 after the 1^st, UTD got a three-run cushion in the 3^rdoff another Eagle error, an RBI double by Jacob Perry, and an inside-the-park home run by Burciaga after Ozarks right fielder Rey Lozano collided with the right field wall.
 
A walk and two non-played sacrifice bunts loaded the bases in the 5^thfor the Comets and Burciaga picked up another RBI with a sacrifice fly. The Eagles pulled to within a run with three runs in the 6^thand 7^th, but UTD got another tally on a Burciaga RBI double. 
 
The Eagles knotted the score at 6-6 in the top of the 8^thwith a two-out RBI single, but the Comets responded with the five-run outburst.
 
Carter Cochrane (2-0) picked up the win in relief of starter Ryan Vera, who went seven strong innings and left with the lead before Ozarks tied it up in the 8^th. The top four in the Comet order – Mikusek, Perry, Craig and Burciaga - had 11 combined hits while Jordan finished 3-for-5.