Belton, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team could not generate enough offense to overcome an early deficit as the Cru dropped an 8-0 decision to U.T.-Dallas Saturday night in Belton. The loss drops UMHB to 17-7 overall and 13-6 in American Southwest Conference play on the season. The Comets improve to 14-10 overall and 10-8 in the ASC with the victory.
U.T.-Dallas took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on two singles, a throwing error and a run-scoring double play. The Comets stretched it to 3-0 on Pierce Fly's RBI sacrifice bunt in the top of the second and Nolan Smith's sacrifice fly made it a 4-0 game in the top of the third. UMHB would not get a runner past second base until the bottom of the sixth, but the Cru left the bases loaded on its best scoring chance of the night. UMHB left runners at first and third in the bottom of the seventh before the Comets put the game out of reach with four unearned runs in the top of the eighth. The first run scored on a catcher's interference call and Brandon Clounch singled home the next three to make it 8-0. The Cru went down in order in the eighth and ninth innings.
Ian Ekery took the loss for UMHB to drop to 4-2 after giving up six hits and four runs in two and a third innings. Tyler Dauer scattered four hits over seven innings for the Comets to improve to 5-1. He struck out seven and walked two. Clounch had three hits for UTD and Jimmy Norris and Tanner Gandy added two hits apiece. Four different players had one hit for UMHB in the game.
The two teams will close out the series with a 1:00 PM doubleheader on Saturday. UMHB will then continue its home stand with a 7:00 PM non-conference game against Texas Lutheran University next Tuesday.