May 14, 2004
Box Score
ARLINGTON, Texas - The University of Texas at Arlington baseball team rallied from six runs down only to give up seven runs over the final four innings in dropping a 13-8 decision to Northwestern State Friday evening at Clay Gould Ballpark.
The Demons (27-19, 13-7 SLC) jumped all over the Mavs in the second inning as they strung together six hits and plated five runs in the inning. Rust Jones had the big blow with a two-run bases loaded single through the right side. Brandon Morgan and Bobby Barbier would then follow with back-to-back RBI singles for the final runs of the inning.
NWLa. added another run in the third inning as Blake Jones ripped a one-out triple off the top of the wall in center field and scored on MIchael Palermo's single through the right side of a drawn-in Mavs infield.
UTA (27-23, 10-12 SLC) began to make their comeback in the home half of the third inning as Daniel Macha started things with a double into the left center field gap. Brett Lewis followed with a single to right field before Carey Avants sacrificed both runners into scoring position. With two outs, Aaron Batlle laced a double to right center to score both runners.
The Mavs socred again in the fourth inning as Darrell Preston jacked his second homer of the season over the right field wall to start the inning. Dane Ryan drew a one-out walk and stole second base with two outs. Lewis would plate Ryan with a single to center field.
The scoreboard would show six runs apiece after the Mavs would push across two more runs in the fifth inning. For the second straight inning, UTA would start an inning with the long ball as Batlle deposited his fifth homerun of the season over the right field wall. After back-to-back walks from Preston and Ryan Nelson, Ryan hit into a fielder's choice and when second baseman Brandon Morgan's realy throw sailed into the Mavs dugout, Preston would score to tie the game.
The Demons would quickly regain the lead, this time for good, in the sixth inning as Morgan reached on an infeild single to the hole at short with two outs and scored on Barbier's triple into the left center field gap just out of the reach of a sliding Ryan.
NWLa. pushed two more runs across in the seventh inning without the virtue of a base hit. Jeff Martin drew a leadoff walk and Blake Jones was hit by a Blake Pierson pitch. Palermo dropped down a sac bunt and Martin scored on a wild pitch. Scott Pittenger plated the second run with a sac fly to center field of UTA reliever Mark Lowe.
The Mavs would pull to within one run in the eight inning as Ryan singled up the middle and Macha followed with the same. Carey Avants put down a sac bunt before Paul Bruder hit an RBI pinch hit single to center field. Kasey Baker would plate the second run with a groundout into the hole at second base.
The Demons would salt the game away in the top of the ninth as Hunter Thoms doubled down the left field line and Martin followed with a double down the right field line. Following a wild pitch and a fielding error by the Mavs infield, a fielder's choice scored the next run before a Rusty Jones single to left woudl score two more.
UTA would get a run in the home half of the ninth as Hunter Pence singled through the left side and moved to third on Ryan Nelson's single down the right field line. Pence would end up scoring on a fielder's choice.
Batlle, Pence, Preston, Mach and Lewis would each collect two hits as the Mavs pounded out 13 in the game. Batlle led the team with three runs batted in. Morgan led the Demons with four hits, while Rusty Jones collected three hits and drove in four.
Dillon Farish (0-1) took the loss as he allowed one run on two hits in 2.1 innings of work. Mike Breaux (2-1) picked up the victory as he allowed three runs on six hits in 4.2 innings of work.
The Mavericks and Demons will play the second game of the series tomorrow afternoon at Clay Gould Ballpark at 5 p.m. UTA will send RHP Michael Gardner (10-2, 2.08 ERA) to the mound while NWLa. will counter with RHP Daniel Lonsberry (2-7, 4.25 ERA).
