April 5, 2003

SAN MARCOS, Texas... Ali Lommel's two run home run in the top of the seventh inning powered The University of Texas at Arlington's softball team to a 3-2 victory over Southwest Texas in the opening game of a double header at Bobcat Field in San Marcos Saturday afternoon. The Mavericks also won the second game of the twin bill 5-3 to sweep the double header and start this crucial three-game series between the Southland Conference's top two teams on the right foot.

The victories improve UTA's overall record to 26-12 overall and 16-1 in the SLC. Southwest Texas dropped to 30-13 overall and 9-4-1 in the SLC.

UTA scored all three of its runs in the first game when they were down to their final out of the contest. Catcher Crystal Krebs opened the scoring with a single to left that scored Stephanie Owens from second base. Owens was the first Maverick to reach base in the seventh after delivering a one-out double. After Krebs' drove in UTA's first run, Lommel stepped in and belted her first home of the season to give the Mavericks the 3-2 advantage.

Katie Cox allowed just a walk in the bottom of the seventh to give UTA the opening-game win.

Krebs, who kept the Mavericks alive with her two-out RBI single, was 2-for-3 at the plate to lead UTA. Cox earned the victory, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out 12 batters in the complete game effort.

The game was a battle of SLC aces, as Southwest Texas' Nicole Neuerburg took the ball for the Bobcats. Neuerburg allowed three runs on six hits and took the loss, falling to 20-6 in 2003. She struck out 11 batters and walked none in seven innings.

The Lady Mavs' didn't wait to score in the second game, putting a pair of runs on the board in the first inning. UTA scored once on a Southwest Texas error and again on Autumn Petrino's RBI single that scored Jenna Fortune. The Bobcats cut the lead in half in the bottom of the first when Kristen Zaleski scored on a passed ball, making the score 2-1 in favor of UTA.

From there, the teams were held scoreless until the fourth inning, when Lommel struck again, delivering an RBI single to center that pushed Jennifer English across the plate and put UTA up by two runs again.

However, SWT tie the score in the bottom of the fourth, plating a pair of runs that made the score 3-3. UTA would score twice more after that point to pull out the victory. Jennifer English's sacrifice fly in the sixth scored Petrino and Falon Kwasnick scored on an error in the seventh to complete the scoring.

Cox earned the victory in relief of UTA starter Jill Garro to improve to 19-4 on the season. She tossed four shutout innings, allowing four hits and two walks while fanning five Bobcats. Garro allowed three runs (two earned) on two hits and two walks in three innings of work. She struck out two batters.

Krebs picked up another multi-hit game in the nightcap, putting together her second 2-for-3 performance of the day. Petrino was 2-for-4 at the plate for UTA, with a run scored and an RBI.

Southwest Texas was victimized by six errors in the second game, leading to three unearned runs, all charged to starter Katie Ann Trahan. Just two of the five runs charged to Trahan were earned. SHe allowed six hits and three walks while striking out three batters in six innings. Neuerburg tossed one shutout inning of relief.

Texas-Arlington and Southwest Texas return to the diamond for the final game of the three-game series Sunday at 1 p.m.