March 23, 2007
Box Score
ARLINGTON, Texas - Texas State right hander Mike Hart followed up his seven innings of eight-hit shutout ball against UT Arlington in 2006 with seven innings of three-hit baseball Friday night at Clay Gould Ballpark as he and the rest of the Bobcats foiled the Mavs Southland Conference home opener, 8-1. The Mavs have now lost six-straight games for the first time since 2000.
Hart (6-1) limited the Mavs to just one single in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings while striking out five and walking only one.
The Bobcats (17-8, 4-0 SLC) collected five hits and took advantage of two Mavericks errors in the second to push across four runs. Laurn Randell started the inning with a single up the middle and went to second when Elliot Babcock's one-out hit bounced off the bag at third. Ben Theriot followed with an RBI single through the right side and advanced to third when the ball got by the right fielder. Casey Guest and David Wood would later add RBI singles.
UTA (9-16, 0-4 SLC) had a chance to get back into the game in the fifth inning as David Newby sharply singled to center and Brock Wilson reached on an error. Ben Burum walked to load the bases, but the bottom of the order failed the Mavs as Kyle Rudy struck out, Leo Radkowski fouled out to the first baseman and David Masters went down swinging.
TXST added a run in the sixth as Guest singled up the middle and went to second as Thomas Field was hit by a pitch. Aaron Garza drove in the runner with a chopper over the left side of the Mavs infield.
The Cats salted the game away in the seventh as a pair of hits and an error loaded the bases before Theriot delivered a two-run single and Guest drove in a run with a fielder's choice.
The Mavs scored their loan run in the ninth as Burum walked, Rudy singled and Jerry Fisher walked to load the bases with two outs. The run scored when Masters drew a base on balls.
Kendal Carrillo (0-1) took the loss after giving up four runs, one earned, on five hits in two innings.
The Mavs and Bobcats will play the second game of the series tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. at Clay Gould Ballpark.
