Bulldogs Fall in Extra Innings to Comets, 4-3

RICHARDSON, TX -- For the third straight game, No. 25 University of Texas-Dallas came from behind to defeat Texas Lutheran, overcoming a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Bulldogs in extra innings, 4-3, on Sunday afternoon at UTD Baseball Field. A brilliant performance on the mound from sophomore Jonathan Hampton (Livingston/Livingston), who worked 4.2 shutout innings, was overshadowed by UT-Dallas's comeback that began in the seventh inning. The Bulldogs would strand two runners in the top of the 10th before the Comets would respond with a run in the bottom of the inning to win the game.

Texas Lutheran (0-5) started the scoring in the top of the second inning when Joe Jimenez (San Antonio/Johnson) blasted his first home run of the season over the left field fence. The Bulldogs would keep the pressure on the No. 25-ranked Comets as Blake Cappadona (Mont Belvieu/Barbers Hill) would double down the left field line to plate the Bulldogs second run in the third. In the fourth, sophomore AJ Gonzalez (Kingwood/Kingwood Park) would continue his productive start to the season with an RBI single up the middle that would score Jimenez and extend the Bulldogs lead to 3-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth.

On the mound, Hampton dominated the UTD (6-0, 3-0 ASC) lineup for four-plus innings, exiting the game in the fifth inning without allowing a run.

The Comets struck for three runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at three. Neither offense could plate a run in the eighth and ninth innings as the game would head into extra innings.

The Texas Lutheran offense would show signs of life with Randy Huerta (New Braunfels/New Braunfels) and Tyler Post (San Antonio/Johnson) finding themselves in scoring position, but the Comets were able to work out of the half inning without allowing a run.

In the bottom of the 10th, Texas-Dallas would hit a two-out bloop single to right field to plate a run to walk it off on the Bulldogs.

Up next, the Bulldogs will continue their non-conference slate as they travel to Belton to face Mary Hardin-Baylor in a three-game series at Red Murff Field. The first game is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 25, with first pitch at 6 PM. All streaming and stat links can be found on tlubulldogs.com.