Box Score

By Ben Rikard | UTAMavs.com

BOONE, N.C. - Kadon Simmons allowed three runs in the first inning, but none the rest of the night in 8.1 innings of work as the UT Arlington Mavericks picked up a 4-3 win over Appalachian State on Friday at Smith Field.

Simmons retired 17 Mountaineers (15-34, 9-19 SBC) in a row after App State scratched three across in the first, and the Maverick (26-24, 12-13 SBC) offense finished with 13 hits on the night. Colton Turner collected three of them, including a go-ahead solo home run in the top of the fifth to put UTA ahead for good.

"This was a really good win after a really long travel day yesterday. It's a tough trip," coach Darin Thomas said. "Kadon (Simmons) was outstanding after the first inning, but that's what he always does. He keeps us in the game and gives us a chance to win. Offensively we got 13 hits on a Friday night and scored just enough."

The junior righty moved to 9-4 on the season, striking out four and not issuing a walk while surrendering only three hits after the opening frame in tossing at least 8.0 innings for the fifth time this season. Jacob Moreland picked up his fourth save of the season, going the final 0.2 innings and leaving two runners stranded in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth.

Three Mavs combined for nine of UTA's 13 hits, led by Turner's 3-for-4 night. Quintin Rohrbaugh and Matt McLean also finished 3-for-5.

The loss went to App State's Dallas DeVrieze, who fell to 1-1 after entering in the second inning and allowed just one run despite UTA getting to him for seven hits in his 4.1 innings of work. Reliever Reed Howell also tossed 3.0 scoreless innings for the Mountaineers, striking out four.

Appalachian State wasted no time getting to Simmons in the early going, striking for three runs in the bottom of the first. A solo homer from Matt Vernon two batters into the inning scored the first run, followed four batters later by a two-run double from Grayson Atwood before the UTA starter was able to get out of the frame.

The Maverick offense then got those runs immediately back with three runs of their own in the top of the second, driving the Mountaineer starter Bobby Hampton from the hill. UTA loaded the bases with just one out before Cody Farrell was hit by a pitch to score a run. Josh Minjarez followed with a sacrifice fly and McLean tied it up when he scored Christian Hollie with a single back up the middle.

Simmons then settled in, retiring the next 17 hitters he faced not allowing a hit until a one-out double by Atwood in the bottom of the seventh. Turner then put UTA up 4-3 with his third homer of the year, a one-out solo shot off of DeVrieze in the top of the 5th.

The junior had to work out of jams in both the seventh and the eighth when the Mountaineers managed to get runners into scoring position, but got around Atwood's seventh-inning double and struck out Brian Bauk with the tying runner on third to end the eighth.

The Mountaineers made one last push to go back in front in the ninth when Colin Schmid singled with one out. UTA then turned to Moreland, who allowed a single to Atwood before getting Tanner Mann-Fix and Chandler Seagle to ground out harmlessly to leave the go-ahead and winning runs stranded on base.

UTA will go for its second straight win over App State on Saturday at 2 p.m. CT in the second game of the series. Junior right-hander Joel Kuhnel is scheduled to get the start for the Mavs.