April 14, 2007
Box Score
ARLINGTON, Texas - The overall struggles continued for the UT Arlington baseball team as the offense only managed six hits and the defense committed an error that led to four unearned runs in the fourth inning as McNeese State handed the Mavs a 10-3 defeat in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Clay Gould Ballpark.
The Mavs (10-25, 1-12 SLC) got on the board in the second inning as Ben Burum belted a triple off the wall in right field and then slid around the tag at home plate on a sacrifice fly to right center off the bat of Kyle Rudy.
The Cowboys (12-23, 8-4 SLC) answered back in the third inning as they put two runners in scoring position on a fielder's choice and single through the left side by David Leatherwood. Joe Hulett, who extended his hitting streak to 20 games in his first at-bat, drove in both runners with a single to left field.
UTA managed to tie the game in the bottom of the inning as John Mark Cleaveland singled to center field and Leo Radkowski walked. The Mavs looked to load the bases on a bunt from Collin Garner, but the first-base umpire disagreed and it turned into a sacrifice bunt. Daniel Rieder would load the bases with a walk before the run scored when Mitch Putman battled out of an 0-2 hole to draw the bases loaded base on balls.
The inability to avoid the big inning continued to haunt the Mavs and MSU took advantage of an error and a wind-aided five-foot RBI single to push across five runs in the fourth inning. Brad Becker started the inning with a double and scored on a fielder's choice following an error. After a double from Andy Riche' put a pair of runners in scoring position, Leatherwood hit a high popup that got caught up in the wind and fell harmlessly right in front of home plate for an RBI base hit. After the base were reloaded, Charlie Kingrey delivered a three-run double just inside the bag at first.
The Mavs managed to a run back in the fifth inning as Radkowski deposited the first pitch of the inning onto Park Row for his fourth home run of the season.
MSU returned the favor in the sixth as Kingrey had a two-out double to left center and Bryan Cartie followed with a two-run home run just over the wall in left.
Nathan Long (1-6) was saddled with the loss after giving up seven runs, three earned, on seven hits in four innings. Chris Denton (5-3) picked up the victory after allowing three runs on six hits in the complete game.
The Mavs and Cowboys will play the second game of the doubleheader approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.
