RICHARDSON, Texas – Against all odds, McMurry University Baseball went on the road and completed a three-game sweep against defending American Southwest Conference champion UT Dallas with two wins Saturday in Richardson, Texas.
The Comets, who entered as the nation's fifth-ranked team, were swept at home for the first time since 2018. On the flip side, McMurry picks up its first series sweep of the season and eclipses last year's season win total.
McMurry improves to 11-13 overall and 8-10 in the ASC, while UTD drops to 17-6 overall and 10-5 in conference play.
Since 2020, McMurry has won six of the last seven games against UT Dallas, including four straight.
Game 1: McMurry 12, UT Dallas 10 (7 innings)
The War Hawks carried yesterday's momentum into Saturday's opener by jumping to an 8-1 lead after four innings. Later, McMurry led 12-5 with four runs in the final inning and held on for a thrilling 12-10 victory to clinch the series.
UT Dallas mounted a five-run rally in the bottom of the seventh to pull within two runs. With the game on the line, McMurry skipper John Byington summoned closer Nick Hamel.
With two outs, a runner on third and the tying run at the plate, Hamel forced a flyout to centerfield. Tracking back for it was freshman Koy Carpenter, who dove back toward the outfield fence and made the catch to win it.
McMurry's scoring started in the second inning, as Javier Rosa brought home Dylan Lee with a sacrifice fly after Lee reached on a leadoff single.
Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, McMurry pulled off a triple steal with freshman Blaze Rickerson swiping home for the second time this season.
Six more runs crossed in the third and fourth innings, as freshman Xavier Escobar unloaded the bases with a three-run double down the left field line in the third.
In the fourth, McMurry sparked a two-out rally with three base runners. Rickerson was hit by a pitch, bringing home Reed Hodges. In the next at-bat, freshman Dylan Abbott singled to right field, scoring Lee and Josh Dyer.
UTD began chipping at the lead, pulling within three before the seventh and final inning. McMurry added four runs for insurance, led off by Escobar with another RBI double. He later came around to score on an RBI walk by Blake Beach.
Hodges produced what proved to be the go-ahead runs, singling up the middle to score Rosa and Carpenter.
Marty Carnahan earned his second straight win on the mound – both against teams that have been nationally ranked this season. He finished 5.1 innings with five runs allowed on eight hits, three walks and seven strikeouts.
Hamel earned his second save of the season, outing the only batter he faced.
Game 2: McMurry 9, UT Dallas 8
With the series in hand, McMurry had more hurdles to overcome in the finale. Trailing 8-6 after eight innings, the War Hawks stormed back with three runs in the ninth and earned the sweep in dramatic fashion.
Down 8-6 heading to the ninth inning, leadoff man Koy Carpenter added his third hit of the game to net a leadoff base runner. He then scored on an RBI triple by Reed Hodges, who represented the tying run at third. Hodges scored on a sac fly by Dylan Abbott to knot things up.
The winning run came off the bat of Braden Fryer, who pulled a single down the right field line to bring home Blaze Rickerson. With a 9-8 lead, Hamel returned for the bottom half and slammed the door for his second save of the day.
McMurry jumped to a 4-0 lead early on with a bases-clearing double by freshman Logan Mercer in the opening frame, followed by a sacrifice fly by Carpenter to bring home Javier Rosa.
Instead of slipping behind, the No. 5 Comets responded with five unanswered runs to go up 5-4 in the third inning. This started a see-saw affair, as McMurry tied things back in the fourth and took a one-run advantage in the fifth. Carpenter hit an infield single then moved up on an errant throw, bringing home Braden Fryer to tie it.
The go-ahead run came in the fifth inning, as Abbott smashed a solo homer to left field. He now has two home runs on the season, with the first coming in his collegiate debut on opening weekend.
That score held until the eighth inning, as UTD stole back the lead with a three run rally to make it 8-6. Ramon Garza hit a solo homer to tie it back up, then two more scored with a bases loaded single and a bases loaded walk. Dylan Schafer entered in the middle of the situation, limiting the damage and recording the final out to strand the bases full. He went on to earn the win – his first decision this season.
Carpenter and Hodges each had three-hit days to lead McMurry, as the War Hawks had a 15-9 advantage in total hits. Fryer and Rosa added two each, while Rickerson, Abbott, Escobar, Mercer and Landon Caldwell added one each.
On Deck
The War Hawks look to ride this momentum into next week's road series at Belhaven. First pitch is set for Friday, April 1 at 4 p.m. – starting a doubleheader. Saturday's finale is set for 1 p.m.
