AUBURNDALE, FL (03.13.22) - The 9th-ranked UT Dallas baseball team broke loose late to earn a walk-off 7-6 win over Washington-St. Louis early Sunday, but were victims of a complete game one-hitter in a 1-0 loss to North Park (IL) in the nightcap of the team's final day at the Russmatt Central Florida Invitational.

The split puts the Comets' season record at 15-2 with the team returning to American Southwest Conference play next weekend at Mary Hardin-Baylor.

UTD 7, WASH. U 6

After being no-hit for the first three innings of the opener, the Comets erupted for 16 hits the rest of the way, overcoming an early 6-0 deficit and then cashing in with the game winner in the bottom of the 9th.

Catcher Lucas Abbott delivered a single through the left side with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, plating Andrew Skivington with the deciding run. 

Down 6-0 after just two innnings, Ramon Garza led off the 4th inning with a home run down the left field line, The Comets followed by loading the bases and got RBI hits from Marcos Villegas and Hunter Cheek to cut the lead in half. An A.J. Liu two-out single set the stage for a Villegas home run the same direction and UTD was within 6-5 with four innings remaining. They tied the score at 6-6 in the 7th when Liu singled and scored on a WU fielding error. 

All nine UTD starters had at least one base hit in the game while Villegas and Cheek were a combined 6-for-10. Liu, Zac Vorst and Abbott also had multiple hit games.

The real story for the Comets, though, was the work of the UTD bullpen. The trio of Joshua Wood, Andrew Vorst and Brett Huff took over in the 2nd inning and limited the Bears to just three hits the rest of the way. The staff tallied 16 total strikeouts, 13 from the bullpen. Huff picked up his first win of the season, finishing off the win in the 9th.

NORTH PARK 1, UTD 0

In the nightcap, it was the Comet hitters who couldn't figure out North Park pitcher Ethan Sund. Sund struck out 16 UTD hitters and gave up just one base hit in the complete-game victory, throwing 122 pitches.

The Vikings (3-7) got the only run they would need in the 3rd, putting together three of the only six hits that Comet pitchers allowed the rest of the way. Pitchers Kenny Garza, Derek Brieden and Orion Drymond finished the final four innings, giving up just two hits and giving UTD a chance to rally once again. Starter Trevor McGrath was the hard-luck loser, despite striking out seven in five innings. The Comet pitchers finished the night with 13 Ks.

UTD had its best chance to even the score in the 8th inning when Deylan Moreno broke up the no-hitter with a single up the middle. He was bunted to second base, and pinch runner Jacob Perry was 90 feet away at third base after a ground out when the threat ended with a fly ball to center field.