April 6, 2012
Final Stats
ARLINGTON, Texas - Preston Beck has carried UT Arlington offensively all season, so Friday night's heroics should come as no surprise.
The junior right fielder cleared the shrubbery in right with his eighth home run in the eighth to break a tie as the surging Mavericks beat Nicholls State 4-2 at Clay Gould Ballpark.
UTA improved to 20-11 and 8-6 in the Southland Conference with its season-high seventh consecutive victory. The Colonels fell to 17-14 and 6-8.
The Mavericks, winners in the first two games of the series, aim for second league sweep in a row Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.
UTA had another quality start from ace Lance Day, who didn't factor in the decision but went 7.1 innings and allowed the only two Nicholls State run. Mavs reliever Michael Morales (3-0) worked the final 1.1 innings to pick up the win for the second night in a row.
"Great win off another good pitcher," UT Arlington Darin Thomas said of Nicholls starter Patrick Shreve. "Give Shreve credit. Clutch hit by Preston. I thought Lance pitched his tail off. Good all around effort. Got some timely hits when we needed them, and Lance was Lance."
