Feb. 29, 2008

Final Stats

FRISCO, Texas - - The UT Arlington baseball team's two hottest hitters of late, Danny Slinkman and Michael Choice, continued to produce Saturday against Dallas Baptist - they combined to to 5-for-8 with two runs batted in.

But the Mavericks couldn't recover from an early deficit and lost, 7-4, against the Patriots in the Southwest Diamond Classic on Friday night in Frisco. UTA cut a 7-2 deficit to 7-4 in the eighth, but Tyson Bagely struck out three batters and recorded the final five outs to secure the victory.

Both teams return to action in the final day of the tournament today at the Dr Pepper Ballpark. UTA (3-5) takes on Nevada, while the Patriots (4-2) will play Alabama.

Mavericks starter Matthew Otteman (1-1) took the loss after going 32/3 innings. UTA's Matt Boydston got the final out of the inning, but Dallas Baptist had successfully climbed back from a two-run deficit to make it 4-2 at the end of the fourth. The Patriots added three more runs in the fifth to take control. In that inning, Dallas Baptist was helped by a lead-off walk and hit batter before a double drove home two runs.

The Mavericks played error-free baseball for the second consecutive day, and three players - Slinkman, Choice and Ryan Davis - had multiple hits. But the Mavericks left eight runners on base, and its pitching staff allowed 11 hits and six walks.