BROWNWOOD, TX (02.26.21) - The UT Dallas baseball team used two big innings to record a 27-8 season-opening road win over Howard Payne Friday afternoon to kick off a three-game American Southwest Conference series.
The Comets (now 1-0, 1-0 ASC) plated seven runs in the 3rd and 13 more in the 6th as they nearly matched the program record for runs in a game (28) in Friday's lop-sided victory. UTD will close the three-game set with the host Yellow Jackets Saturday with a 12 p.m. doubleheader at Don Shepard Park.
Seven different UTD players record multi-hit games as the Comets went through seven HPU pitchers in the near record-setting performance. The Comets belted three home runs homes on the afternoon, including a grand slam by
Jacob Perry, while collecting 22 hits and drawing 10 walks.
The Comets scored a pair in the 1st thanks to an RBI double by
Ramon Garza followed by a sac fly by
Zac Vorst. UTD added a run in the 2nd on an RBI double by Perry, but the Yellow Jackets would answer with three runs in the bottom of the frame to knot the game, 3-3.
UTD then brought home seven runs on just five hits in the 4th to open up the game. Hunter Check picked up two RBI on a single up the middle before
Deylan Moreno brought home Vorst with a single to center. Perry then launched not only his first-career grand slam, but first long ball in a UTD uniform, to lift the Comets to a 10-3 advantage. Leading 10-4 after five innings, the Comets then plated 13 runs on just four hits in the 6th to put the game away.Â
The Comets drew eight walks in the 6th, seven of which with the bases loaded, as HPU used four different pitchers in the frame. The Yellow Jackets hurlers hit three UTD batters in the inning, twice with the bases loaded.
A.J. Liu and Moreno were the only Comets to pick up RBI on hits in the 6th.Â
UTD added a three-run homer by Vorst in the 7th and a solo home run by
Daniel Zamora in the 9th to complete its 27-run production. The Yellow Jackets plated three runs in the bottom of the 9th.
Perry finished 3-for-4 with six RBI and three run scored while Liu was 4-for-7 with four runs scored and two RBI. Moreno, Vorst and Chandley Boyd each had three-hit performances.
Carter Cochrane (1-0) earned the win, giving up four runs on five hits in 5.0 innings of work.Â