RICHARDSON, TEXAS (04.15.22) - UT Dallas pitchers Carter Cochrane and Trevor McGrath set the tone for the Comets baseball team, giving up just three combined hits in an American Southwest Conference doubleheader sweep of Howard Payne Friday afternoon.
 

The Comets (25-7, 18-6 ASC), who gave up 14 hits to the Yellow Jackets (10-23, 6-18 ASC) in an 11-7 loss in the series opener yesterday, kept HPU completely off-balance this time around as Cochrane spun a one-hitter in a 3-0 UTD win in the seven-inning opener Friday. McGrath, who was coming off a one-hitter of his own last weekend against Ozarks, gave up just a pair of hits in a six-inning start before the Comet bats finished off the Jackets with a 12-0, "run rule" seven-inning win in the finale.

UTD is set to play a non-conference game against Southwestern in Georgetown Tuesday before traveling to Marshall next weekend for a three-game showdown with league-leading East Texas Baptist.

In 13 innings Friday, the Cochrane/McGrath combo struck out 13 combined HPU hitters. Cochrane (5-2) went the distance without giving up a walk. McGrath, who walked just three, improved to 3-1.

Meanwhile, the Comets tallied four home runs, including two by Zac Vorst.

DH GAME 1: UTD 3, HPU 0

The Comets managed just four hits against Jacket starter Chandler Paul, but it didn't matter as two of them were home runs from Zac Vorst and Andrew Skivington. In seven innings of work, Cochrane faced just one HPU hitter over the minimum, mowing down the first 14 hitters he faced before HPU's Joey Villarreal laced a double past third base in the 5th inning. 

UTD also was set down in order until the 3rd when Skivington led off with a line drive single off the glove of a leaping HPU fielder, but he was left stranded. But the Comets finally broke through in the 5th when Skivington came back up and homered with a towering shot to right field into the wind. Then, in the 6th, A.J. Liu worked a leadoff walk and scored in front of a Vorst blast to left field.

A strikeout and two fly balls were all Cochrane would need to finish off the victory.

DH GAME 2: UTD 12, HPU 0

Vorst picked up his second home run of the day - fifth of the season - and was joined by Ramon Garza, who slammed his seventh, in a 15-hit attack over just six innings.

The Comets wasted little time serving notice, sending 10 batters to the plate in the 1st and cashing in with six runs on six hits and an HPU error. With one out and a runner on, three straight hits set up an RBI single for Marcos Villegas. Vorst then delivered his second home run of the day to make it 4-0. Three more his brought home two more runs before the Comets were done.

HPU starter Gary Blair then settled down until he was chased in the 4th. Again, with two outs, Garza, A.J. Liu, Villegas and Vorst continued the UTD hit parade and two more runs crossed the plate to stretch the lead to 8-0. Then, in the 5th, UTD topped it all off with a four-run, four-hit inning that included a couple runs coming home after errant throws from the HPU outfield to the plate. 

Garza, Liu, Villegas and Vorst did the heavy lifting, combining for 11 hits that included three doubles by Liu, and driving in nine of the Comet runs.