March 6, 2009
Box Score
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - After scoring a run in the top of the first inning the UT Arlington baseball team was held to just one run the rest of the game as Sam Houston State defeated the Mavericks 8-2 in both team's Southland Conference opener on Friday night at Don Sanders Stadium in Huntsville.
Mavericks starting pitcher Andy Sauter carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning with the Mavs leading 1-0, before the Bearkats scored three runs on three base hits to take the lead, 3-1. Sam Houston State extended its lead scoring two in the sixth, one in the seventh and two in the eighth inning.
UT Arlington senior Matt Otteman drove in the Mavericks' first run with a single up the middle in the top of the first inning, scoring left fielder Preston McCoy who walked on four pitches to start the game.
Otteman finished the game going 3-for-4 while improving his hit streak to 11 games. He is now batting a team-high .477 in 44 at-bats this season.
Sauter allowed only two base runners (walk, fielder's choice) before SHSU posted two doubles and a single in its three-run fifth inning. Sauter, who is now 0-1 on the season, pitched 7.0 innings allowing seven hits, six runs and three walks with six strikeouts.
UT Arlington reliever Matt Dunn gave up a solo home run to the first batter he faced in the bottom of the eighth inning as Tyler Knight hit the first pitch he saw off the scoreboard in left-center field. Bearkats' nine-hole hitter Ryan Mooney then drove in Peter Goudeau, who doubled, to give Sam Houston an 8-2 lead.
The bottom of the Bearkats batting order (5-through-9 hole batters) collected nine of the Bearkats 10 base hits, combining to hit 9-for-18 with seven runs scored and seven RBI.
Sophomore center fielder Michael Choice went 2-for-4 on Friday night for the Mavericks. His single through the left side of the infield in the top of the eighth inning gave UT Arlington its second run of the game. Choice is now batting .426 with a conference leading 15 RBI on the season.
UT Arlington and the Bearkats will play game two of the weekend series on Saturday, March 7, with a 5 p.m. scheduled first pitch. Senior Nathan Long (1-1, 2.51 ERA) will take the mound for UT Arlington and will face Sam Houston State right-handed pitcher Dallas Gallant (1-1, 8.50 ERA).
