University of Texas Arlington
Nebraska-Omaha
2/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
By Michael Eldridge | @DFWSportsMike
HAMMOND, La. - UT Arlington softball was able to bounce back from an opening-game loss to improve to 3-1 after two days of play at the Tangi Tourism Lion Classic.
The Mavericks (3-1) dropped their first game to Nicholls State, but rebounded against Omaha to earn the team's second run rule of the season to close out the day.
"I was proud of how the girls did not let the first game affect the entire day," UT Arlington coach Kristie Fox said. "They bounced back and came out swinging with a lot of confidence in the second game."
UTA closes the tournament with a matchup against tournament hosts Southeastern Louisiana on Sunday at 10 a.m.
Game 1: Nicholls State 4, UT Arlington 0
Final Stats
After scoring 18 runs in two games to open the season, the Mavericks offense was unable to bring things together for a third consecutive game.
"We came out flat this morning and Nicholls took advantage," Fox said. "Sam did a great job giving us a chance to win and we did not play defense or get her run support."
Sam Montes, earning her first start for UTA, was able to hold Nicholls State scoreless through the first two innings before the Colonels opened scoring on a leadoff homer to start the third.
Nicholls State added another in the sixth on a sacrifice fly and another two in the seventh off a pair of errors.
Montes finished with seven innings pitched for her first complete game and struck out one. Montes allowed eight hits and two earned runs.
Game 2: UT Arlington 9, Omaha 1
Final Stats
The Mavericks scored in all four innings of action and were able to earn its second run rule of the season, again in five innings.
The first damage came from the bat of Anderson with two outs in the inning. Anderson followed Nina Villanueva's walk with her second homer of the season and the Mavs led 2-0 after the first.
Freshman Sandra Mendoza followed up Kacey Everett's double with one of her own for UTA's lone run of the second and then UTA's offense crossed a trio of runs to pull away in the third.
Omaha walked the bases loaded and Malory Foster made them pay with a single to push the first run across the plate. Joni Hanke got an RBI in her first at-bat of her UTA career after a pinch-hit walk. Mendoza picked up her second RBI of the game with a walk of her own.
UTA would score another set of three in the fourth inning to put the game away. Shelbi Sikes scored Villanueva on a single and Sikes would join Anderson to add two more on a wild play that left the Mavs up 9-1.
Kayla Donaldson struck out two in five innings pitched and allowed just four hits to go with an earned run.
"Kayla did a great job in the circle and a lot of different people stepped up with big at bats," Fox said.
