RICHARDSON, TX (03.27.21) - The UT Dallas baseball team took a third American Southwest Conference series of the spring after earning a doubleheader split with Mary Hardin-Baylor Saturday afternoon.
The Comets run-ruled UMHB, 13-3, in the series finale after dropping Saturday's opener to the Cru, 5-0. UTD took Friday's series opener, 8-1. UTD will return to action Tuesday with a 3 p.m. road game at Hardin-Simmons in Abilene.
GAME 1 - UMHB 5, UTD 0
The Comets managed just five hits as they were shut out for the first time this season, 5-0, by UMHB in Saturday's opener.
The visiting Cru plated three runs in the top of the 2nd off a Rhett Grosz home run and then tacked on single runs in the 4th and 5th to secure the victory.
A.J. Liu collected nearly half of the Comets hits in the contest, going 2-for-3 from the plate.
The Comets threatened late in the game, getting a hit each in the 6th and 7th frames. Liu led off the 6th with an infield single and stole second base to give the Comets their first runner in scoring position since the 2nd inning. However, UTD was unable to bring home runner and continued to trail by five runs heading to the 7th. The Comets then put runners on first and second with just one out in the final frame, but a pair of ground outs ended the rally and the game.
GAME 2 - UTD 13, UMHB 3 (7 inn.)
The Comets found their swagger in the series finale, using two big innings to secure a 13-3 victory over UMHB.
UTD got a two-run homer from
Ramon Garza and a three-run shot from
Hunter Cheek as part of seven-run 2nd frame to give the Comets an early lead. The Comets opened the scoring with a
Nick Balley double to right, scoring
Deylan Moreno, before
Jacob Perry doubled the lead to 2-0 with a sacrifice fly to right, scoring
Daniel Zamora. Garza then lifted UTD to a 4-0 advantage with his third long ball of the season. After singles by both Liu and
Zac Vorst, Cheek blasted his third homer of the spring to give the Comets a 7-0 cushion.
The Comets would add another run in the 3rd off a UMHB wild pitch, but would be held scoreless until the bottom of the 7th.
Up 8-3 in the bottom of the 7th, the Comets ended the game early with a five-run frame, scoring all five runs with two outs. Liu drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Comets a 9-3 cushion and Vorst then single through the right side, to push the UTD lead to seven runs. The Comets added run on a UMHB failed pick-off attempt before Moreno ended the game with a two-run double to dead center, over the Cru centerfielder's head.
The Comets collected 13 hits in the victory with Balley going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Perry was 2-for-3 from the lead-off spot while Garza and Vorst were both 2-for-4.
Carter Cochrane (3-0) earned the victory, holding the Cru scoreless through 4.0 innings with two strikeouts.
