ABILENE, TX (02.28.22) – The 18^th-ranked UT Dallas baseball team came up with late clutch hits and took advantage of Hardin-Simmons miscues Monday to sweep a doubleheader from the Cowboys, improving to a perfect 10-0 to start the season and 6-0 in American Southwest Conference play.
 
The Comets (10-0, 6-0 ASC) jumped out to an early lead in the first game of the Monday doubleheader and held on for a 9-6 victory. They then rallied late to overtake an error-prone HSU squad for an 8-6 win in the nightcap. HSU fell to 4-5 on the season, all in conference play.
 
Outfielder Marcos Villegas sparked the offense in the seven-inning opener, smashing a grand slam home run that put UTD ahead 9-3 before the Cowboys rallied for 3 late runs. In the back-and-forth series finale, Villegas' line shot to right field drove home the final run as UTD rallied from a 6-6 tie with two runs in the 9^th.
 
The Comets return home this weekend for an important ASC series against rival Concordia Texas. The series is set to open Friday with a 2 pm single game.
 
GAME 1: UTD 9, HSU 6 (7 INNINGS)
 
UTD jumped on the Cowboys early, scoring three 1^st-inning runs before HSU ever came to the plate. Jacob Perry and Ramon Garza singled to open the game before Perry scored on a Villegas RBI ground ball. Hunter Cheek then drove in Garza and Andrew Skivington later scored on a wild pitch.
 
The Cowboys got a run back in their half of the frame, but UTD added single runs in the 3^rd and 4^th to go up 5-1 before HSU countered to make it 5-3 in the 4^th. But Villegas blew the game open in the 6^th after two hit batters and one of seven HSU errors on the day loaded the bases with his four-run shot over the left field wall. The grand slam put enough distance for UTD to withstand a three-run, 7^th-inning rally by the Cowboys.
 
Skivington, Cheek, Keagan Vance and Lucas Abbott all had multiple-hit games for UTD, which out-slugged HSU, 13-10. Starter Dylan Hugley was the beneficiary of the early offense, picking up his first win of the season.
 
GAME 2: UTD 8, HSU 6 
 
The HSU error parade continued in the second game of the doubleheader and allowed UTD to fight back from an early 4-0 deficit.
 
The Comets needed just two hits to take over with a 5-4 lead in the 7^th as HSU tossed in a hit batter, two walks and two critical fielding errors. An A.J. Liu single followed by a HBP and walk loaded the bases and Zach Sanchez brought the first UTD run home when a deep fly ball was dropped by the HSU center fielder. A Deylan Moreno walk forced in the second run, then Vance cleared the bases with a hard shot to left that went through the fielder's legs and to the wall to give the Comets a 5-4 lead.
 
HSU answered quickly in the 8^th, scoring a pair to go back on top, 6-5. But UTD was not done as Sanchez singled to open the inning, went to second on a wild pitch and tied the game on a Moreno single and error on another bobbled play in the outfield.
 
A two-out double off the glove of a leaping HSU third baseman brought Moreno home to make it 7-6. Then, Villegas had his shot to right center to score Garza with the eighth run.
 
Ben Soule (W, 2-0) and Orion Drymond (S, 4) finished things off for the Comets on the mound.