March 21, 2010
Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The UT Arlington pitching staff allowed one run in 18 innings with 24 strikeouts in a doubleheader sweep over UTSA, 7-0 and 8-1, on Sunday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.
The first victory of the day gave UT Arlington (9-11, 3-3 SLC) its 400th all-time Southland Conference victory and the nightcap victory gave the Mavericks their first Southland series win and third weekend series victory of the season.
UTSA falls to 9-9 overall and to 1-5 in the SLC.
Rett Varner and Garrett Laird combined for the shutout in the first contest with Varner, who picked up his second win of the season, pitched 7.2 innings with a career-high nine strikeouts. Laird pitched the final 1.1 innings with three strikeouts to finish off the Roadrunners in the ninth.
UTSA tallied six hits (all singles) and advanced only two runners past second base. Preston Beck hit his first career home run for the Mavs' first run in the second inning and finishing going 2-for-4 with two runs scored. First baseman Jordan Vaughn went 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI.
Junior All-American Michael Choice gave the Mavericks a 2-0 lead with a line-drive double to left-center field driving in Vaughn in the sixth inning.
The Mavericks four-run seventh inning started when catcher Chad Comer drove in a run with an RBI single and Vaughn plated three with a double to right field. Third baseman Brian Nephew added the Mavs' final run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning.
Logan Bawcom had his top performance of the season pitching 8.0 innings and striking out a career-high 10 batters while allowing only six hits and two walks in his first win as a Maverick. Senior left-handed pitcher Brain Watson pitched a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts.
Senior designated hitter Steffan Guest got the Mavs on the scoreboard in the first inning with an RBI double down the left-field line. UTA pushed across four runs in the third inning with a two-run double by Comer and with an RBI single by Nephew and a run-scoring double by shortstop Jesse Payne.
Guest went 3-for-5 and Beck went 3-for-5 with three RBI to lead the Mavericks in game two of the doubleheader. Choice went 1-for-2 with three runs scored and three walks.
Choice has now reached base safely in 32 straight games dating back to last season. He currently leads the Mavericks batting .375 with seven home runs and 21 RBI. Choice ranks inside the top 10 in the country with 22 walks.
Vaughn owns a career-high 11-game hit streak where he is batting .391 (18-for-46) with eight runs, three doubles, a home run and seven RBI with seven multi-hit games.
UT Arlington returns to Clay Gould Ballpark for a midweek game on Tuesday, March 23, hosting Louisiana-Monroe for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch.
