The LeTourneau University baseball team dropped a 4-1 decision to host University of Texas-Dallas on Friday afternoon in Richardson. The loss was the first defeat of the season for the YellowJackets, who began the season with eight-consecutive wins.

LeTourneau (8-1, 3-1 ASC) stranded nine runners in the defeat and spoiled a strong start by senior Curt Copeland, who gave up eight hits, four runs – one earned and struck out one to fall to 1-1.

Texas-Dallas (6-2, 3-1 ASC) scored twice in the second and picked up two insurance runs in the eighth for the win. Comets' starting pitcher Tyler Dauer picked up the win to raise his record to 2-0 as he struck out eight on the afternoon; plus, Brandon Clounch pitched a scoreless ninth for the save.

The LeTourneau offense was held to seven hits with juniors Caleb Pritchett and Sean Sellers pacing the attack with two hits apiece.

Sellers put LeTourneau up early on a RBI single in the first inning, scoring Bryce Griffin, who started the game with an infield single. He later moved to second when the Comets misplayed a sacrifice bunt. Ryan Bertram moved up the runners to second and third on the first of two sacrifice bunts on the afternoon to set the stage for the RBI single by Sellers.

The Comets took the lead in the second inning on a RBI single by Matt Olszewski and a two-out RBI double by Jimmy Norris.

An opportunity came for LeTourneau to regain the lead as they had runners on second and third with one out in the in the fifth until Dauer got a strikeout and a fly out to escape the threat. UTD added two insurance unearned runs in the eighth.

 The two teams will wrap up the weekend series with a doubleheader on Saturday at noon.