March 31, 2013
Final Stats
Up Next: Oklahoma Christian, Tuesday 6:30 p.m., Clay Gould Ballpark
RUSTON, Louisiana - UT Arlington waited four hours to play, but needed about two minutes to score in Sunday afternoon's series-sweeping 11-0 run-rule rout over Louisiana Tech at J.C. Love Field.
The Mavericks didn't waste any time after the game was delayed four hours by rain. UT Arlington scored three in the first and added another four in the fourth, and rolled to a fifth consecutive Western Athletic Conference win.
The Mavericks improved to 15-12 and 5-1 in the WAC, which is tied with Texas State for first place in the league. The Bulldogs (11-19, 1-5) are 0-6 against UT Arlington this season.
"Great weekend," UT Arlington coach Darin Thomas said. "We overcame a lot of adversity all three days."
Derek Miller opened the contest with a single to right that was misplayed and rolled through the standing water near the warning track. Miller raced around to third and scored on Ryan Walker's single to right.
Matt Shortall followed with a mammoth home run off LA Tech starter Richie Navari to increase the Mavericks' lead to 3-0. The junior designated hitter is the first player in J.C. Love Field history to clear the batter's eye in center field.
The Mavericks loaded the bases in the third with none out, forcing a pitching change by the Bulldogs. LA Tech reliever Jamie Gilley didn't do himself any favors after fielding a potential double-play ball from Brandon Lawrence and throwing it into center field.
All three runners on - Walker, Shortall and Justin Copeland - scored on the play, which was compounded by a throw by the center fielder into the Louisiana Tech dugout. Lawrence would come home on a wild pitch for a 7-0 edge.
The flood of runs took the pressure off UTA starter Zach Thompson, who put together his second straight solid outing. The sophomore right-hander improved to 3-2 after cruising through the full seven innings, allowing just two hits. Thompson retired the last 16 batters he faced.
The Mavericks weren't done, extending the lead to 11-0 in the sixth with four hits and another LA Tech error. John Michael Twichell doubled in the inning. Greg McCall, Travis Sibley and Shortall had RBIs.
UT Arlington scored 21 over the three games against LA Tech and allowed just two. McCall and Shortall each had seven RBI in the series.
The Mavericks return home to Clay Gould Ballpark on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. to face Oklahoma Christian in the first of a two-game series. The Mavericks went 5-2 in a stretch of seven road games in a row.
