May 2, 2010
Box Score
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - UT Arlington won its eighth consecutive Southland Conference game and swept its second straight conference series with a 19-4 run-rule (8 inn.) victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Sunday afternoon at Chapman Field.
The Mavericks (23-22, 16-8 SLC) scored a season-high 19 runs on 20 base hits, as every starting position player had at least one base hit while junior shortstop Jesse Payne led the way going 5-for-5 with four runs, a double, two triples and five RBI. The victory also gives the Mavericks their ninth consecutive win against the Islanders (18-27, 8-16 SLC) dating back to 2008.
UT Arlington, who is currently in third place in the Southland Conference, won its sixth conference series of the season and eighth overall weekend series of the season.
UT Arlington junior All-American Michael Choice went 3-for-5 with a double, two runs and four RBI while he reached base safely for the 57th straight game dating back to last season.
Choice, the nation's leader in walks, reached base in the eighth inning on a base-on-balls, which moved his season total to 59. He needs only three walks to break the school's single-season record.
UT Arlington right-handed pitcher Logan Bawcom (5-3) won his third straight start pitching 7.0 innings with six strikeouts while allowing three runs on eight hits with two walks. Bawcom has now pitched at least 7.0 innings in seven straight starts.
The Mavericks scored six runs in the third inning to break a scoreless tie with five base hits. Nick Orr (2-for-6) singled and scored two batters later on Choice's 10th double of the season. Choice came around to score on freshman Preston Beck's double to right-center field before catcher Chad Comer (2-for-4, 3 runs) drove in Beck with a single to left field.
Payne capped the Mavs' six-run inning with an RBI triple to right-center field. Payne was the second Maverick this weekend to tally five hits in a game (Jordan Vaughn, 5-for-6 - Friday) and becomes the first Maverick this season with two triples in one game.
UT Arlington grabbed a 10-0 lead with a four-run fifth inning that included back-to-back walks and three straight RBI base hits.
Comer and designated hitter Steffan Guest (2-for-3, 3 runs) started the two-out rally with walks before Payne singled through the right side to score Comer. Third baseman Brian Nephew (2-for-5, 4 RBI) continued the rally with a double down the left-field line to plate Guest.
Second baseman Cody Dyvig (2-for-5, 2 RBI) collected his first hit of the game with an RBI single up the middle to score Nephew.
After the Islanders scored their first run in the bottom of the fifth, UT Arlington added two runs in the seventh inning on Nephew's two-run single up the middle.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi avoided the game-ending 10-run rule in the seventh inning scoring two runs.
The Mavericks followed with seven runs on six base hits as 11 batters came to the plate in the eighth inning. Choice drove in two runs with his third base hit of the game, Payne hit his second triple of the game to score three runs while Vaughn drove in a run with a double down the right-field line and Dyvig collected a two-out RBI single in the inning.
UT Arlington left-handed reliever Brian Watson pitched the final inning allowing one run on three base hits with a strikeout in the eighth.
The Mavs' current eight-game conference win streak is their longest since 2006 when UTA won a school-record 10 consecutive conference games (March 10-April 2, 2006).
UT Arlington will be back at Clay Gould Ballpark to open a seven-game homestand Tuesday, May 4, as they welcome Dallas Baptist for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch.
