AUBURNDALE, Fla. - The UT Dallas baseball team opened the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational with a split at Lake Myrtle Park on Friday. The Comets (8-6) opened with a 3-2 loss to #32 Bethel (Minn), but rebounded to defeat #5/12 Rowan 7-6 in 10 innings.
Against the Royals (2-2) in game one, the Comets scored both of their runs in the bottom of the fourth. Designated hitter
Grayson Coltharp started the inning with a triple to center field and scored on a base hit by
Luke Finn. single down the right field line by catcher
Nico Fernandez moved Finn to third, who then scored on a sacrifice fly by
Colin Ethridge.
Bethel took the lead with a three-run sixth inning. After leading off with an out, the Royals singled in three consecutive at bats, followed by a double and a sac fly, giving the squad from Minnesota the win. UTD threatened in the eighth by loading the bases, but failed to convert a run.
In game two, the Comets jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the first two innings. Third baseman
Dylan Bivins had a RBI-double in the first as did left fielder
Daniel Zamora in the second. An error on a failed pickoff attempt led to another run crossing the plate.
Three hits and two errors by the Profs (4-1) in the fifth gave UTD a 5-0 advantage. Rowan answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame, including a two-run double by second baseman Tyler Cannon. They cut the deficit to 5-4 in the bottom of the eighth after an error led to a run.
Chris Curcio led bottom of the ninth with a pinch hit double and scored the tying run on a Cannon single up the middle to force extra innings.
Brayshon Savage led the top of the 10th off with a walk and moved to third with a double from first baseman
Robert Hines. After a groundout, Coltharp hit a bloop single to center field, scoring both Savage and Hines to give the Comets a 7-5 lead.
With two outs in the bottom of the 10th, left fielder Jason Morgan singled and scored on a triple to center from Phil Sedalis. Freshman reliever
Kasey Klyng then came in and induced a ground out for the final out of the game and his first save.
UT Dallas Notes
- The Comets outhit the Profs 13-10, including five doubles.
- Coltharp had the game-- winning RBI single and a triple on the day.
- Senior second baseman
Andrew Skivington extended his hitting streak to 12 games with four hits in the two games.
- Hines was 5-for-10 with a double, two runs scored and a stolen base. His hitting streak is now at six games.
- Zamora went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and a RBI against Rowan.
- Fernandez recorded his collegiate hit vs. the Royals.
- Finn recorded three hits on the day, including a double.
- Savage went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a pair of doubles against the Profs.
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Ryan Vera struck out seven batters, allowing nine hits, three runs and a walk over 5.2 innings in the losing effort against Bethel.
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Kenny Garza threw 2.2 scoreless innings with two strikeouts in game one.
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Jake Jennings (1-0) earned the win in game two.
Bethel Notes
- Four Royals had two hits each - Matthew Carlsen, Tommy Friesen, Ty Koehn and Nick Kulseth.
- Carlsen, Koehn and Kulseth also each hit a double.
- Carlsen also stole a base and drove in a run.
- Michael Meadows (1-0) earned the win by striking out three over 2.2 innings of scoreless relief.
- Blake Williams went three innings, allwowing three hits, no runs, two walks and five strikeouts for his second save of the year.
Rowan Notes
- Cannon was 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI.
- Jason Morgan was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and a RBI.
- Dylan Maria also had two hits.
- Ryan Iovine (0-1) took the loss in relief.
Up Next
UT Dallas will face Salve Regina at 1 p.m. Saturday in Sanford, Fla.
