April 1, 2011
Final Stats
THIBODAUX, La. - Nothing has been easy this year for UT Arlington starter Lance Day or the Mavericks.
Friday night - the night when Day and UTA gave coach Darin Thomas his 100th career victory - was no different. The Mavericks scored four runs in the 10th inning to defeat homestanding Nicholls 5-1 at Ray E. Didier Field.
With the win, Thomas became the third UTA coach to reach the 100-win plateau.
It took a remarkable outing from Day, who entered the contest leading the Southland Conference in innings pitched. The right-hander threw a 10.0-inning complete game, holding the Colonels to one first-inning run on three hits. Day walked two and struck out six in earning just his second win of the season.
Entering Friday night's game, the Mavs had scored 20 total runs for Day in his six starts. UTA scored 13 of those runs in Day's only previous victory - a 13-2 road thrashing of Dallas Baptist.
The run support, again, was limited for Day, but the Mavs (15-11, 7-3) broke through with two outs in the 10th.
Ryan Walker started the rally with a walk and Michael Guerra followed with a single. Preston Beck then drove a go-ahead single into center field, scoring Walker and breaking the 1-1 tie.
Brian Nephew later padded the lead with an RBI single. The Mavs scored one more run when Daniel Garcia crossed the plate on a wild pitch.
Day returned to the mound for the 10th. Blake Bergeron reached on catcher's interference to lead off the frame, but Day induced the next three batters to ground out to end the game.
The Colonels' only run came in the first when Jeremy Hill and Bergeron belted back-to-back doubles.
Day allowed a leadoff hit in the second before holding Nicholls (11-15, 1-9) hitless over the last 9.0 innings. He surrendered just two baserunners the rest of the way - Bergeron on a strikeout/wild pitch and Bergeron again on the catcher's interference.
UTA scored its first run in the third when Guerra drove in Nick Orr with a sacrifice fly.
The two teams return to play Saturday at 3 p.m. at Ray E. Didier Field.
