March 14, 2006
The UT-Arlington softball team will take a pause in Southland Conference play as they host the Texas Southern Tigers in a doubleheader Tuesday at Allan Saxe Field.
ABOUT TEXAS SOUTHERN:Texas Southern is 1-15 this season after dropping an 8-0 decision to 14th-ranked Texas A&M at the Texas A&M Invitational on March 4.
The Tigers have struggled this season with a team earned-run average greater than 12.0 heading into Tuesday's match.
Through the first eight games of the season, the Tigers had scored just 13 runs and allowed 80.
Sophomore outfielder, Adrianne Rocha and sophomore infielder Natalie Rameriz, were named to the All-SWAC Preseason Squad. Rocha was named first team list after leading the league with 10 home runs in 2005. She also ranked second in the conference with 39 RBI.
Rameriz was a second-team choice after leading the team in runs scored (27) and tied for the team lead in batting average (.352).
ABOUT THE MAVS:The UT-Arlington offense continues to play well in Southland Conference play. The Mavericks improved to 6-0 in league play with a three-game sweep of Nicholls State in Thibodaux, La., last weekend. For the series, UTA piled up 24 runs on 31 hits - including 10 extra base hits.
The Mavericks can match their best conference start with a win over Northwestern State on Saturday. UTA began the 2003 conference season 7-0 before going on to win the school's second regular season title with a 23-4 mark.
Over the last eight games, UTA is scoring 5.5 runs per game and averaging a .272 team batting average.
PITCHING HOLDING UP:Senior lefthander Jill Garro (Bulverde, Texas) leads the Southland Conference with a 1.21 ERA after posting two wins at Nicholls State last weekend. Garro, now 7-4 this season, will tie for fifth on the career wins record with another win. Her start Tuesday tied her for second on the career list with 87. She needs 13.2 innings of work to move into fifth on the career innings pitched list with 5679.2. Garro already moved into fifth place on the career strikeout list and has 420 career Ks heading into Tuesday's game. She will move into fourth place with 98 strikeouts and third with 107 more.
Garro, was named the Southland Confernece Pitcher of the Year for the week of March 7 after allowing one earned run in an 11-inning complete game decision and followed with two innings of relief for the win in a doubleheader sweep against McNeese State on March 4.
Garro shut down Loyola Marymount in the Mavs' 10-0 win in the championship game of the Paradise Classic.
