Box Score

By Ben Rikard | UTAMavs.com

ARLINGTON, Texas - The UT Arlington Mavericks picked up 11 hits on the day, but left 13 runners on base as Arkansas State salvaged the finale of a three-game set with a 4-0 win on Sunday afternoon at Clay Gould Ballpark.

Matt McLean picked up three hits, while Brady Cox, Darien McLemore and Jerame Littell all had two hits apiece; however, the Mavs (10-7, 2-1 SBC) finished the day just 5-for-20 with runners on base and 1-for-10 in two-out situations.

Meanwhile, Arkansas State (8-7, 1-2 SBC) starter Bryan Ayers turned in a quality start for the Red Wolves to move to 2-1 on the season with 6.0 shutout innings that included six strikeouts. Austin Gardner took the loss for UTA after allowing three runs in 1.0-plus innings before handing it off to Brad Vassar who continued to pitch well in relief. The reliever lowered his season ERA to 2.20, allowing just one run on four hits in 5.2 innings of work.

"I thought their starter did a good job. It's like what we talk about all the time: get the early lead , and that three in the first was all they needed," UTA coach Darin Thomas said. "You can win or lose the game in the first inning and that happened today. We hit some balls fairly hard, but on a day like today with the wind blowing in, they didn't help us out with walks and when they hit it in the air they caught it."

A-State staked itself to an early 3-0 lead with a three-run first inning. The Red Wolves loaded the bases with one out against Gardner and went ahead 1-0 on a sacrifice fly from Matt Burgesss, who finished the day 2-for-4. Two batters later Joe Schrimpf smacked a two-run single to left field to plate both Austin Baker and Tanner Ring.

Vassar then kept the Red Wolves off the board until the sixth when Jake Bakamus laid down an RBI sacrifice bunt to up the advantage to 4-0 after a leadoff triple and a walk to open the inning.

UTA had its chances to work its way back in the game as well, putting the leadoff hitter on base in four straight innings without anything to show for it. Its best chance to score came in the fifth when Cody Farrell doubled to lead off the inning, followed by a walk to Dalton DeLeon to turn the lineup over. But Ayers managed to set down each of the next three Mavs he faced and not allow any damage.

The Mavs mounted one last rally in the ninth, putting two runners on base after singles from McLean and RJ Williams. But Ring, who had moved to the mound from third for the final inning, managed to coax a fly out from Christian Hollie before getting Cox to fly out to left-center, keeping the potential tying run in the on-deck circle.

UTA will next take the field on Tuesday when it temporarily relocates to Globe Life Park to take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders. First pitch from Globe Life Park is set for 7:00 p.m.