RICHARDSON, TX (03.26.22) - The mid-season skid for the UT Dallas baseball team reached four games Saturday after the McMurry War Hawks held off the Comets on both ends of an American Southwest Conference doubleheader to complete the three-game sweep.

The Comets (17-6, 10-5 ASC) rallied late in both ends of the twin bill, but came up on the short end of a 12-10 and 9-8 loss. UTD dropped the series opener 3-0 on Friday and were coming off a 12-10 loss in their final game of the Mary Hardin-Baylor series last weekend. The Comets will try to get back on the winning track next weekend with a road series against Sul Ross State.

In both games of the Saturday doubleheader, the UTD fell behind early to the War Hawks, but came up just short with late-inning rallies.

DH GAME 1: McMURRY 12, UT DALLAS 10

Down 8-1 after four innings of the seven-inning opener, the Comets strung together four runs to pull within striking distance at 8-5 in the 6th with an inning to play. But the War Hawks scored four runs of their own in the top of the 7th to expand the margin to 12-5 before UTD scored five in its final at-bat. After four hits and a pair of McMurry errors, UTD had the tying run at the plate before a fly ball to center field ended the threat two runs short.

The Comets failed several times to capitalize on early opportunities, and simply could not cool off the War Hawk hitters, who took advantage of nine hits, eight walks and three hit batters. Down 2-0 early, UTD got a run back with an RBI single from Lucas Abbott in the 2nd, but McMurry tacked on three-run innings in both the 3rd and 4th before the Comets would get another hit. 

UTD got a single run back in the 5th when Jacob Perry led off with a solo home run. Then, in the 6th, the Comets got three straight RBI hits from Brayshon Savage, Perry and Hunter Cheek to cut into the lead. In the 7th, UTD again had a four-hit inning and pushed five runs across the plate with RBIs from Perry and Marcos Villegas, who as 4-for-5 in the game and 6-for-10 on the afternoon.

DH GAME 2: McMURRY 9, UT DALLAS 8

In spite of again falling behind early, it was the Comets who could not take advantage of good fortune in the series finale. Down 4-0 after 1-1/2 innings, UTD rallied to take a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the 3rd. But McMurry answered with a pair of single runs in the 4th and 5th to retake the lead at 6-5. UTD then apparently was positioned to claim at least one win in the series after scoring three in the bottom of the 8th. But McMurry rallied in the top of the 9th for three runs of their own, and made a 9-8 advantage stand up for the sweep.

Walks and hit batters were not so much of a factor in the finale, but UTD pitchers gave up a combined 15 hits - many in clutch situations - despite tallying 13 strikeouts. 

Ramon Garza and Villegas each homered for the Comets in multi-hit games.

Andrew Skivington and Deylan Moreno both drove in runs in a three-run 2nd inning for UTD, and Villegas gave the Comets a brief 5-4 advantage in the 3rd with a two-run blast. In the 8th, Garza led off with a solo home run and Moreno and Keagan Vance each picked up RBIs to push the Comet advantage to 8-6 with closer Orion Drymond summoned from the bullpen. But the War Hawks pieced together three hits, a walk and two wild pitches to score three times against the Comet ace. UTD then did not have an answer in its last at-bat.