RICHARDSON, TX (04.01.21) - The UT Dallas baseball team used two big innings as the Comets rolled to 14-6 home win over East Texas Baptist Thursday afternoon to open a three-game American Southwest Conference series.

The Comets (now 12-6, 9-4 ASC) got a three-run home run from Hunter Cheek in the 3rd to set the tone and a grand slam by Daniel Zamora in the 7th to shut door on the visiting Tigers. UTD finished the game with 16 hits, the most since collecting 22 hits in the Comets' season opener at Howard Payne on Feb. 26.

The two teams will return to the diamond at 12 p.m. Friday for a doubleheader at the UTD Baseball Field.

The Comets scored five runs, all with two outs, in the bottom of the 3rd to take a 5-0 lead on ETBU (now 15-8, 10-3 ASC). A.J. Liu opened the scoring with a double to right, scoring Ramon Garza, before Cheek pushed the UTD advantage to 4-0 with blast to left, his fourth of the spring. Zamora added an RBI double later in the frame, plating Deylan Moreno.

UTD added another run in the 4th on another RBI double by Liu, scoring Nick Balley, before the Tigers would get on the scoreboard with a single run in the top of the 5th. The Comets answered with a run in the bottom of the 5th on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Liu.

Leading 7-3 heading to the 7th, the Comets plated six runs on six hits to put the game away. Zac Vorst started the big inning with an RBI single to right, scoring Garza. After a pitching change, Moreno picked up a bases-loaded single to left center, bringing home Liu. Zamora then cleared the bases with his fourth long ball of the season and first collegiate grand slam.

The Tigers plated three runs in the top of the 8th before UTD closed the scoring with a bases-loaded balk by ETBU in the bottom of the inning.

Cheek was 3-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored while Liu and Moreno each finished 3-for-5. Zamora was 2-for-5 with five RBI. Blake Birdwell (2-1) tossed a solid 7.0 innings in his start, giving up one earned run on seven hits with five strikeouts.