GEORGETOWN – Solid pitching helped pave the way for the Southwestern University baseball team that picked up its first win of the season Tuesday, knocking off UT-Dallas, 6-3, at Rockwell Field.

Jacob Kendra picked up the win for the Pirates pitching six solid innings of four-hit baseball. Kendra scattered four hits allowing just two runs and one earned run to help Southwestern (1-7) get in the win column. The loss was the first of the season for the Comets who fell to 3-1.

Southwestern busted out in the bottom of the fourth inning when Will Cates singled homed Zach Lynch who led off the inning with a walk. Clayton Sparks followed Lynch across the plate on Cates' hit when Matt Olszewski's throw went wide of third base for the first error for UTD.

Ethan Luna followed Cates with an RBI single to give the Pirates a 3-1 lead. However, Southwestern wasn't done in the inning as Jake Pawelek drove home Luna as a base hit through the left side.

The Pirates never relinquished the lead the rest of the night as Kendra, Carl Mueller and Joseph Koch held the Comets to five hits and just one run in the final three innings.

Koch came on in the seventh with the bases loaded and two outs. He would get out of the inning on a fly ball helping preserve the Pirates lead picking up his first save of the season.

Southwestern added one more run in the sixth and another insurance run in the eighth inning as Bludau blasted a double off the leftfield wall to start the inning. Dickson Wharton would pinch run for Bludau and score one batter later on an Ethan Luna sacrifice fly giving the Pirates the 6-3 lead.

Pawelek and Sparks both finished 2-for-4 as Pawelek added a pair of RBIs. Luna also finished with two RBIs to pace the Pirates offensively.

The Pirates return to the diamond Friday to open a three-game series against Trinity. First pitch with the Tigers is set for 7 p.m. from Rockwell Field.