April 16, 2011
Final Stats
ARLINGTON, Tex. - McNeese State scored 10 runs in the first three innings Saturday when it evened the series with UT Arlington with a 13-5 victory at Clay Gould Ballpark.
Six of the Cowboys' runs were unearned over that span thanks to three UT Arlington errors. All three miscues came on dropped flyballs in the outfield and came back to haunt the Mavs.
The trouble began in the first inning on a play that served as an omen for the rest of the game. With two outs and a runner on second, Seth Granger's popup blooped in when center fielder Philip Incaviglia collided with second baseman Ryan Walker. Jace Peterson, who drew a one-out walk, gave the Cowboys (18-19, 8-9) their first run of the game.
Instead of being out of the inning without giving up a run, Mavericks starter Collin Reynolds had to face another hitter. That hitter, Renny Weber, fired a shot up the middle for a run-scoring single.
UT Arlington had a similar situation in the second when, with two on and two out, Peterson lifted a popup a few steps onto the outfield grass. The Mavericks dropped the flyball for a two-run error.
It only got worse in the third, when a pair of outfield errors cost UTA (19-17, 9-8) four more runs.
Offensively, meanwhile, the Mavericks struggled until the sixth. McNeese starter Matt Click had a no-hitter going until Chad Comer lined a one-out single into left field in the fifth.
The Mavs finally got on track in the sixth when they scored five runs with the help of two Cowboys errors. Preston Beck, Brian Nephew and Jesse Payne each had RBI in the frame. Comer had the big hit when his single down the third-base line scored Beck and Nephew to make the score 10-5.
The Mavs never pulled closer than within five runs in the game.
UT Arlington and McNeese State will settle the series Sunday in the rubber match at 1 p.m. at Clay Gould Ballpark.
