RICHARDSON, Texas - The UT Dallas baseball team used a five-run seventh inning to hold off St. Thomas (Texas) 12-8 in a rainy afternoon contest at UTD Baseball Field Tuesday.
The visiting Celts (12-7) opened the scoring in the top of the first when Dylan Lamb led off with a triple and scored on a grounder by Cameron McClure. The Comets (12-8) answered with two runs in the bottom half after a RBI-double from
Grayson Coltharp and an UST error. They went up 5-1 in the second when left fielder
Brayshon Savage led off with a solo home run and second baseman
Andrew Skivington hit a two-run single.
A walk, an error and a passed ball led to a Celt run in the fourth, but the home team increased the lead to 7-2 with two more runs in the bottom of the frame. Jeffrey Williams hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth to cut the deficit to four runs for UST.
St. Thomas tied the contest with a four-run seventh. With two outs, McClure singled and Williams reached on an error, followed by a passed ball that allowed McClure to score. After a walk to Dillon McKee, left fielder Erik Garza hit a three-run homer over the left field fence to knot the game at 7-7.
The Comets regained the lead for good in the bottom of the seventh.
Dylan Bivins led off with a walk, then with two outs, catcher
Austin Nairn hit a single, moving Bivins to third. Freshman shortstop
Garrett Neeley recorded his first career hit to center field, scoring Bivins. Skivington then walked to load the bases and
Jaeger Self walked, plating Nairn. Coltharp followed with his second double of the day, clearing the bases and moving the score to 12-7. The Celts added one more run in the ninth.
UTD outhit UST 13-7 and recorded five doubles and the Savage home run.
UT Dallas Notes
- Besides Neeley's go-ahead single, he also drew a walk and scored twice.
- Coltharp went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two doubles and two runs.
- Skivington extended his hitting streak to 18 games, going 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI, a walk and three runs scored.
- Nairn had two hits, including the double, with two runs scored.Â
- Savage also stole a base to go with his solo home run - his fourth of the year.
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Ben Price (2-0) earned the win, by throwing a perfect eighth inning with one strikeout.
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Jake Jennings picked up his second save of the year.
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Connor Ray fanned two batters in a scoreless inning of work.
St. Thomas Notes
- McClure went 3-for-5 with a run scored and a RBI.
- Lamb had a double, triple, three runs and a stolen base.
- Garza hit the three-run homer, walked twice and scored twice.
- Dominick Garza and Alex Trinh pitched scoreless frames for the Celts.
Up Next
The Comets will host Sul Ross State in a three-game American Southwest Conference series, beginning Friday at noon.
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