April 7, 2012

Final Stats

ARLINGTON, Texas - Nicholls State scored six runs in the first two innings Saturday afternoon and cruised to an 8-4 win over UT Arlington at Clay Gould Ballpark.

The Colonels' win spoiled UTA's shot at a sweep and snapped the Mavericks' seven-game win streak.

"Overall it was a good weekend," UT Arlington coach Darin Thomas said. "We needed to get back to playing good baseball and start getting wins. We have still won seven of eight and are right in the mix of the conference now."

The Mavs hurt themselves defensively in the first two innings. Two errors led to three unearned runs.

"We have to make a couple plays and we would have limited damage in the first two innings," Thomas said.

UT Arlington (20-12, 8-7) had a few chances to cut into Nicholls' lead but did not have the timely hitting that lifted it to wins in the first two games of the series.

Perhaps the best opportunity came in the third inning. Jordan Vaughn drilled a line drive down the third-base line that Blake Bergeron snared. He then stepped on third to double off a Mavericks runner and end the inning.

"We have got to stop getting behind," Thomas said. "We can't keep thinking we will come back. We hit a number of balls right at them in big spots. You can tell we are hitting. We had 15 hits but only scored four runs."

Bergeron then blasted a solo home run in the fourth inning to extend the lead for Nicholls (18-14, 7-8).

The Mavs had another chance in the fifth with two on and two out. Preston Beck ripped a liner that first baseman Beau Faulk leaped to rob Beck of extra bases and at least one sure RBI.

UTA got onto the board in the sixth when Michael Guerra scored on an error and Jake Pinchback drove in Matt Shortall a play later.

Greg McCall, who finished 2-for-4 with two doubles, drove home a couple runs in the eighth.

UT Arlington travels to Texas A&M on Tuesday with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m.