May 22, 2008
Final Stats
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - - UT Arlington let a three-run lead slip away, then saw their season end on a four-run outburt by Southeastern Louisiana in the seventh inning of Thursday's 7-3 loss in the elimination bracket of the 2008 Southland Conference Tournament.
Although the Mavericks (26-31) couldn't regain the lead and continue the 2008 campaign at Don Sanders Stadium in Huntsville, UTA enjoyed drastic improvement under first-year coach Darin Thomas. In post-game comments to media, that's just what Thomas pointed out.
"We competed hard all year and competed hard today, and I'm proud of that," Thomas said. We just ran into a great pitcher today."
Southeastern (30-26), behind the complete-game performance by left-handed, professional prospect Wade Miley, scored a run in the fourth off Mavericks starter Andy Sauter (4-4), who was nearly unhittable to that point. The Lions then got two in the sixth to tie it.
From there, Miley (7-3) just got stronger. From the final out of the fifth to the seventh, he retired seven consecutive batters. It was just the window Southeastern needed to regain the lead. A four-run seventh inning, highlighted by a Cass Hargis triple to put Southeastern up 7-3, was too much for the Mavericks to overcome.
"I was upset about yesterday," UTA coach Darin Thomas said in reference to the UTA's tournament-opening 22-2 loss against Texas State. "I'm not upset about today. We battled in every situation and the guys did their best. Miley is a great pitcher. In this tournamenet, we faced the two best pitchers in the conference. That just happens sometimes."
UTA's early success did give some hope as Miley had control problems, and the Mavericks got timely hits.
Brock Wilson led the game with a walk, was sacrificed over by David McLeod and scored on a Michael Choice single. It was more of the same in the fourth. Matt Otteman started the inning with a walk, then scored on a Steffan Guest double to left-center to make it 2-0. Guest, who had three hits on the day, scored on an Evan Raley single.
When Sauter retired Southeastern in order in the fifth, it appeared the Mavericks were headed for the next round.
But the Lions got a high chopper to center to start the sixth inning. A double two batters later and single to short made it 3-2 and put runners on first and third. A sacrifice bunt tied the game, 3-3, and Southeastern had new life.
In the seventh, the Lions sent seven batters to the plate and took control of the game.
UTA put the leadoff runner on in the ninth against Miley when Pitschka drew a walk, but a double play ended the game.
