RICHARDSON, TX (03.08.21) - For the second straight day, the UT Dallas baseball team erupted late to overrun Sul Ross State pitching, scoring 14 runs in a single frame to turn a 6-1 deficit into a 16-6 American Southwest Conference victory and a sweep over the Lobos at the UTD Baseball Complex.

On Friday, the Comets (6-1, 5-1 ASC) scored four runs in the 6th inning of the 7-inning opener to rally for a 4-3 win. In Saturday's series finale, UTD sent 17 hitters to the plate in the 7th again and turned five hits, five walks, two hit batters and an error into a 14-run outburst that led to the win. One inning later, the Comets tacked on another run and claimed the "mercy rule" victory with a 10-run lead (16-6).

UTD was actually out-hit in the final game, 9-8, by the Lobos (3-5, 1-5 ASC), but the Comets strung four straight singles together in the fateful 7th inning to start chipping away at what looked like a dominant start for SRSU and starting pitcher Isaiah Moya, who had allowed just two hits and one run through the first six frames. A pitching change to start the inning, however, was all the Comets needed to come to life.

Right fielder Marcos Villegas drew a walk to start the inning, then singles from Hunter Cheek and Deylan Moreno loaded the bases. Nick Balley greeted yet another Lobo pitcher with a single to center field, driving in Villegas. Chandler Boyd singled to left to score Cheek and suddenly the Comets had cut the lead in half (6-3) and still had the bases loaded with no outs. Jacob Perry followed with a third straight single to score Moreno and make it 6-4, and the Lobos went to the bullpen for the third time.

Ramon Garza greeted the fourth Lobo hurler with yet another single, scoring two more runs to knot the score at 6-6. From that point, the succession of plays were a walk. a dropped fly ball, two straight hit batters and three more walks - each of which pushed runs across the plate. A fielders' choice allowed the Comets to score again for a 13-6 lead, then two more runs raced home on a sacrifice fly.

In the 8th, Zac Vorst opened the inning with a triple to the wall in right center. He scored the culminating run three pitches later when Villegas grounded out.

Blake Birdwell went 5.2 innings for the Comets, allowing four runs on five hits while recording six strikeouts. Austin Blanford, who threw the final two innings, was the beneficiary of the offensive outburst and picked up his first win of the season in a two-inning relief appearance.

Cheek was the only Comet hitter to have a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3; but six others had at least one hit. Garza was credited with four RBI.

UTD returns to action on Tuesday with a 2 pm home non-conference matchup with Southwestern University.