March 6, 2016
Box Score | Photo Gallery
By Ben Rikard | UTAMavs.com
ARLINGTON, Texas - UT Arlington exploded for nine runs in the top of the first inning and cruised the rest of the way in clinching a four-game weekend series against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi with a 10-4 win on Sunday afternoon at Clay Gould Ballpark.
UTA (8-5) sent 13 men to the plate in the first inning, forcing the Islanders (5-7) to use three pitchers before getting out of the frame. Christian Hollie finished with a team-best four RBI with a 3-for-5 day, reaching in his first three plate appearances to lead a 14-hit attack by the Maverick offense.
Quintin Rohrbaugh extended his hit streak to 11 games with a 3-for-5 day, his third consecutive three-hit game and eighth multi-hit game of the season. Brady Cox and Darien McLemore added a pair of this and an RBI apiece, while Cody Farrell picked up a pair of RBI with a two-run base hit in the nine-run first.
Brad Vassar picked up his first win of the season with 4.0 innings of scoreless relief of starter Austin Gardner, striking out three while allowing just three hits. He was lifted after a one-out single in the ninth in favor of freshman Dylan Schneider who retired the game's final two hitters.
Islanders' starter Caleb Hanks was saddled with the loss after allowing five runs on six hits without retiring a batter in the opening inning.
TAMUCC held an early lead after pushing a run across in the top of the first on an RBI fielder's choice from Zacarias Hardy, but that advantage lasted all of three batters into the bottom half of the frame. Each of the first seven hitters for the Mavs reached base to start the game, with Hollie tying it up at 1-1 with an RBI single.
Rohrbaugh, Cox and McLemore each followed with RBI singles of their own in front of Farrell, who gave UTA a 6-1 advantage with a line-drive, two-run base hit to right-center field off of TAMUCC reliever Austin Blakely. Matt McLean's second walk of the inning three batters later loaded the bases with one out and RJ Williams proceeded to pick up an RBI with a sac fly before Hollie tugged a two-run double inside the third-base bag to round out the scoring.
Meanwhile, Gardner was able to put up a pair of scoreless frames before the Islanders scratched the scoreboard again in the top of the fourth when Austin Krajnak scored on a wild pitch from third base with two outs to cut the lead to 9-2.
TAMUCC added two more an inning later, chasing Gardner from the hill with an RBI single from Hardy for the inning's first run. Krajnak then greeted Vassar with an RBI single of his own to make it a 9-4 score before Vassar set down both Harrison Hill and Cullen Jozwiak on strikes to end the rally.
Hollie finished off the scoring in the bottom of the sixth, picking up his fourth RBI of the day on an RBI single into shallow right field to score McLean who had led off the inning with a double. Vassar took over from there, retiring 12 of the final 15 Islanders he faced before giving way to Schneider for the final outs.
The Mavs will now turn their attention to nationally-ranked TCU with a game scheduled for Tuesday evening at Lupton Stadium in Fort Worth before opening up Sun Belt Conference play next weekend at home against Arkansas State.
