April 1, 2008
Final Stats Game 1
Final Stats Game 2 
ARLINGTON, Texas - - UT Arlington's baseball team broke open a tie game with nine runs in the sixth inning - highlighted by a grand slam by freshman center fielder Michael Choice - to help complete a double-header sweep Tuesday against UT Pan American in a non-conference matchup at Clay Gould Ballpark.
The Mavericks won the first game, 4-1, behind junior right-handed pitcher Matt Otteman.
UTA's scoring outburst in the sixth inning of Game 2 made a winner of freshman right-hander Rett Varner and gave the Mavericks an 11-1 victory and a three-game win streak. Game 2 was shortened because of the 10-run rule.
The Mavericks and Broncs battled out-for-out until the sixth inning in Game 2, when the Mavericks loaded the bases against UT Pan American starter Phillip Rodriguez (0-3). Third baseman Ryan Davis then drew a four-pitch, two-out walk to make it 2-1. Jeff Storms followed with a liner up the middle to score two more to give UTA some cushion, 4-1, heading into the late innings.
But the Maverick weren't finished. After a walk, error and hit batter, Choice came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. Choice took a pitch high and deep to the opposite field. It easily cleared the fence, and UTA had its comfortable lead, 10-1.
Jeff Nollen, who relieved Varner (1-1) to start the top of the seventh, shut the Broncs in the seventh.
Varner was impressive in his victory, going six innings and giving up just four hits. He also struck out six.
UTA struck first in Game 1 when senior first baseman David McLeod wasted no time extending his current hit streak to 10 games. McLeod drove a Shane Janecka (2-2) pitch into the gap in right-center for a triple. Choice followed with a grounder to second, driving home McLeod and giving the Mavericks a 1-0 lead in the first.
UTA starter Otteman kept the Broncs off balance and pitched out of small jams in the third and fourth innings. UT Pan American singled to start the third, but a double-play and strikeout two batters later ended the threat. In the fourth, the Broncs got two infield hits to put runners on first and second with nobody out.
Otteman (2-1) got out of the inning with a strikeout, fly ball to center and strikeout - his fifth through the first four innings. He pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth and went through the sixth without a threat before handing the game and a 3-0 lead to Jeff Edlefsen to start the seventh. UTA got the three-run cushion thanks to a run in the fourth and a Danny Slinkman solo homer to center in the sixth.
UT Pan American attempted to rally in the eighth. It got a run off Edlefsen and put two runners on base before Mavericks coach Darin Thomas went to the bullpen for freshman right-hander Marcus Limon. Limon walked the first batter he faced before getting consecutive strikeouts to end the inning. Limon struck out three more batters in the ninth to pick up his first collegiate save.
Limon finished with 1 2/3 innings pitched, zero hits allowed and five strikeouts.
Otteman got the victory for going six innings. He allowed five hits, no runs and struck out six.
Three Mavericks collected two hits each - Choice, Slinkman and Andrew Kainer.
