RICHARDSON, Texas — St. Edward's baseball surrendered five runs in the eighth inning to break up a tied game, then left two stranded in the ninth of an 11-9 loss to the UT Dallas Comets to open the final four-game series of the regular season.
Nico Fernandez drove in the game's first run for the Comets on an RBI double to left center, driving in Chris Benavidez, who reached on a walk.
CONNOR COX sparked the Hilltoppers with a leadoff double in the third, scoring on
JACOB BULCROFT's RBI fielder's choice.
NICO RUEDAS advanced to third on an error during the play and scored on a wild pitch to give the Hilltoppers the lead.
Benavidez scored his second run of the day on a solo blast in the third. The Hilltoppers loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, but plated only one run.
AUSTIN PAGE expanded the lead with an RBI double to center field.
UT Dallas opened the fifth with four hits and a hit batter, tying the game on Fernandez's two-RBI double, then taking the lead on an RBI single and scoring on a double play.
St. Edward's rallied with two outs in the eighth, sparked by Sebek's single and consecutive walks, scoring on Ruedas's two-RBI single to tie the game.
The Comets broke the game open with five runs on five hits in the eighth. Peyton Peoples opened with a two-run blast, UT Dallas scored on a wild pitch, and Kole Kinnison capped off the scoring with a two-RBI double for the 11-6 lead.
DYLAN TATE and
AUSTIN PAGE hit consecutive singles to shallow center in the ninth, and the Hilltoppers plated a run on an error, then a two-out RBI single from Merriman before a groundout to second closed out the game.
Ruedas drove in three runs and scored another, and Page and Sebek notched two hits each. St. Edward's totaled 11 hits and left 12 stranded.
BRANDON HUFF started on the mound and went five innings, surrendering six runs (five earned) on nine hits and three strikeouts.
LIAM MILLER picked up the loss in relief, surrendering three runs in two innings.
The series will continue tomorrow with a doubleheader, starting at noon.