May 21, 2004
Box Score
ARLINGTON, Texas - The University of Texas at Arlington baseball team punched their postseason ticket as they turned in a solid offensive performance and got another great state from ace pitcher Michael Gardner in a 9-2 victory over Texas-San Antonio Saturday evening at Clay Gould Ballpark.
The victory moved the Mavericks into fourth place in the Southland Conference standings, just one-half game ahead of UTSA. The winner of tomorrow afternoon's contest will earn the fourth spot in the upcoming postseason tournament.
The victory marked the first time in nine conference series that UTA won the second game of the series.
Gardner became just the fourth Mavs pitcher to reach 11 wins in a season as he improved to 11-3 by allowing one unearned run on five hits in seven innings of work. He struck out four and did not walk a batter as he threw 94 pitches, 58 for strikes. He is now tied with Steve Foster with the 11 wins and needs just one more victory to tie for the single-season school record. Gardner also became the first Mavs pitcher since Pierce Loveless in 2001 to throw one-hundred innings in a season. Gardner currently has thrown 100.2 innings and owns a 2.06 ERA.
UTA (30-24, 13-13 SLC) got on the board in the first inning as Kasey Baker started the game with a single up the middle and was sacrificed to second by Aaron Batlle. Baker stole third and with two outs came into to score when Darrell Preston reached on a fielding error by shortstop Ryan Crew.
The Mavs added to the lead with a pair of runs in the second inning as Daniel Macha started things with a double down the left field line. Dane Ryan followed with a base on balls and with one out, both runners advanced via stolen bases. The first run came in on a Paul Bruder groundout to the pitcher and the second on a Baker single to right center.
UTSA (27-28, 12-13 SLC) got an unearned run in the third inning as following a Maverick error and a base hit, Lee Todesco singled through the right side and Ryan bobbled the ball in right field allowing a run to score. Gardner was able to get out of the inning without any further damage as he enticed a flyout and struck out the next hitter looking.
UTA broke open the game open in the fifth inning as Bruder doubled to left field and scored on a Baker single to left field. After Baker was thrown out trying to advance to second on the play, Batlle singled up the middle and scored on Hunter Pence's double off the top of the left field wall. Pence would proceed to steal third before scoring on Ryan Nelson's single over the head of the third baseman.
The Mavs manufactured two more runs in the sixth inning as Ryan was hit by a pitch and Brett Lewis to right field. After the runners advanced on a failed pickoff attempt, Bruder plated a run with a bloop single to left field. Baker would plate Bruder once again with a double to right center.
UTA would get their final run of the game in the seventh as Nelson led off the inning with his sixth home run of the season over the right field wall.
The 'Runners second tally of the game came in the eighth inning as Todesco singled through the left side off reliever Blake Pierson.
Baker led the Mavs 16-hit parade as he went 4-for-5 with three runs driven in. Batle, Nelson, Macha, Lewis and Bruder each collected two hits. Todesco led UTSA with a 4-for-4 day at the dish.
The Mavericks and 'Runners close out the three-game series tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. at Clay Gould Ballpark.
