SAN ANGELO, Texas (05.03.19)– Over 29 hours after the first pitch of the American Southwest Conference Blue Bracket Tournament, the UT Dallas baseball team finally wrapped up an 11-2 Game 1 victory over Louisiana College Friday afternoon.

The 5^th-seeded Comets (21-19) will advance in the four-team, double-elimination tournament to play the winner of Game 2 between host Howard Payne and #8-seed LeTourneau Saturday at 2 pm at Angelo State University's Foster Field @ 1^stCommunity Credit Union Stadium. The entire tournament had to be moved 98 miles west of Brownwood at ASU after Thursday rains made HPU's home field unplayable.

ASC TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
 
The winner of the Blue Bracket Tournament advances to the best-of-three ASC Championship Tournament next weekend at the highest-remaining seed. Blue Bracket games have been rescheduled for later Friday with Saturday games set for 2 and 6 pm and the bracket finals set for 1 pm Sunday in San Angelo.
 
The Comets held a commanding 8-1 lead with action was halted in the 6^thinning Thursday, then tacked on three more runs in the 7^thwhen the game resumed Friday. LC avoided a 10-run "mercy rule" decision by with a solo home run in the 7^thbefore a two-hour lightning delay stopped the game with one inning left to play.
 
UTD won the important opening-round game of the double-elimination format by breaking open an early 1-1 tie with a four-run 2^ndinning, a three-run 5^thand three more runs in the 6^thinning.
 
Freshman lefthander Ryan Vera (5-2) got the win, pitching all five innings on the game's first day, allowing just one run on four hits. On Friday, Nick Gambriasi, Jordan Box & Orion Drymond finished up the win, allowing just the solo homer.
 
The UTD offense lit up five Wildcat hurlers for 17 hits, including four for extra bases. Designated hitter Dylan Palmer led the way, going 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two RBI. Matt Mikusek and Ryan Burciaga each finished 3-for-6 and Austin Blanford went 2-for-3 with three RBI.
 
Thomas Craig gave the Comets a 1^st-inning lead, scoring on a Palmer RBI single. In the 2^nd, UTD loaded the bases with three straight singles, then got four runs home with a ground out and two-out RBI hits from Craig and Palmer to go up 5-1.
 
Palmer again was the catalyst in the 5^thwith a leadoff double, eventually coming home on a squeeze bunt by Ryan Sloma. Aaron Fanning scored a second run on a Wildcat error, then Jacob Perry delivered an RBI single to score Blanford and give UTD an 8-1 advantage before the rains came Thursday.
 
When action resumed Friday, UTD wasted no time adding three more runs in the top of the 7^th. Burciaga started things with a double to left and Palmer followed with a single. Zach Jordan dove in a run with a ground ball, then Blanford cleared the bases with a two-out triple.