May 6, 2006

Box Score

NATCHITOCHES, La. - UT Arlington senior second baseman Jenna Fortune lined a pitch back through the middle of the Texas State defense to score Katie Jones from third and give the Mavericks' a come-from-behind 5-4 win over the Bobcats during Saturday's play at the 2006 BellSouth Southland Conference Tournament at the Demon Diamond.

UTA (31-20) will now face regular-season champion Texas-San Antonio at approximately 9 p.m. today with the winner just one victory away from an NCAA Tournament berth.

"We played well in all three areas of the game - pitching, hitting and defense," said head coach Debbie Hedrick. "I thought the team never quit. We didn't change our tempo at the plate and just tried to stay calm."

UTA had faced Texas State senior pitcher Katie Ann Trahan twice this season and had yet to score a run against the SLC's Pitcher of the Year. UTA could only muster three hits against Trahan, but each one drove in runs.

Courtni Anderson ended that streak early with a two-run home run to left field in the top of the first inning after Katie Jones began the game with a walk.

Texas State rallied on a pair of two-run homers - one by first baseman Kristin Gunter in the third inning and the other from designated player Ali McCormack in the fourth - to take a 4-2 lead in the fourth inning.

But UTA got clutch play from their seniors in the bottom of the fourth inning when senior second baseman Jenna Fortune led off with a walk and Autumn Petrino sent a ball to the opposite field to tie the game at 4-4.

UTA took the lead for good in the fifth inning. Katie Jones led off with a walk, advanced to second baseman on a Dee Jay Nelson ground out. Jones stole third base and then scored on Fortune's single up the middle.

It was enough run support for senior Jill Garro (18-12) to pick up the win despite allowing eight hits early before retiring the final seven batters for the win. Trahan (21-11) took the loss for Texas State.