University of Texas at Dallas Athletics

RICHARDSON, Texas - The UT Dallas baseball team staved off a late-inning rally by #16/19 Concordia Texas, winning 6-5 at UTD Baseball Field Tuesday afternoon.

The Comets (20-2) secured the 23rd 20-victory season in 24 years. The only time UTD did not reach 20 wins in a season was the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. 

The home team opened the April Fool's Day scoring in the bottom of the second after an error and a balk by the Tornados (23-7). The Comets went up 4-0 in the third after an RBI-ground ball from catcher Nico Fernandez and a run-scoring double off the bat of Kole Kinnison.

Concordia right-fielder Landon Hyle walked and scored on a Jake Townsend single in the top of the fourth. Thomas Soto walked and scored on a double by Trent McCown in the bottom of the frame to give UTD a 5-1 advantage. With two outs in the fifth, Kinnison was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a balk, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a single to center by Efren Munoz for a 6-1 lead.

The Tornados rallied in the eighth with four runs on two hits, two hit batters and a pair of walks. Pinch hitter Jess Lollar recorded a two-run single up the middle and Aaron Gomez also drove in two runs with a single to cut the deficit to 6-5.

Comet senior Kenny Garza entered the game in the top of the ninth and recorded three straight outs to slam the door on the Tornados and pick up the save.

UTD outhit CTX 8-6.

UT Dallas Notes
- Kinnison finished the game 3-for-3 with a pair of runs scored, a RBI, a double and was hit by a pitch. It was his second three-hit game of the year.
- Munoz went 3-for-4 with a RBI to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.
- Junior Kasey Klyng improved to 2-0 with a scoreless 2.1 innings of relief. He struck out two batters and allowed just one hit.
- Garza's perfect ninth was his second career save. He and fellow senior Jake Jennings move into a tie for fifth place on UTD's career appearance list with 55. 

Concordia Texas Notes
- The Tornados used 10 pitchers in the game. Dayton Cliffe (0-1) earned the loss in the second inning. 
- Jake Runnells struck out two batters in a scoreless seventh inning.
- Gomez went 2-for-3 with two RBI, a walk, a stolen base and was hit by a pitch. 
- Townsend was also 2-for-3 with a run scored, a RBI, a steal and two walks. 

Up Next
UTD will travel to Marshall to begin a four-game series at #19/22 East Texas Baptist beginning Thursday.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by UT Dallas Baseball (@utdbaseball)