RICHARDSON, TEXAS (04.14.22) - The UT Dallas baseball team tallied 15 hits in an American Southwest Conference slugfest Thursday afternoon, but the Comets failed to keep the visiting Howard Payne Yellow Jackets off the base paths and from crossing the plate in falling, 11-7, to open a three-game weekend series.

UTD (23-7, 16-6 ASC) pitching gave up 14 hits, but also allowed nine more Jackets (10-21, 6-16 ASC) to reach base via the walk in dropping the series opener. The Comets were poised to rally several times, but stranded 12 base runners across seven of nine innings.

The two teams meet in a doubleheader starting at 12 noon Friday to wrap up the series before the holiday weekend.

The Comets were seemingly off to a smooth start Thursday, batting around in the 1st inning and taking a 4-0 lead with a six-hit attack. But HPU got a single run back in the 2nd and took a 5-4 lead with a four-run 3rd, putting UTD in "catch up" mode the rest of the day. Even after tying the game at 5-5 in their half of the 3rd, the Comets surrendered three more runs over the next two inning, and were only able to get within 8-7 after a two-run 6th inning. HPU capped off the scoring with three more runs in the 7th to keep UTD at bay.

Designated hitter Zac Vorst was 3-for-4 for the Comets while catcher Deylan Moreno (2-for-5) drove in a pair of runs. Ramon Garza, Hunter Cheek and Andrew Skivington were the only other UTD hitters with multiple hits. The Comets used five pitchers with only Jacob Good and Kenny Garza, who threw the last 2.2 inninngs, keeping the Jackets off the board.