University of Texas Arlington
No. 17 Utah
SB: UTA falls in finale in Ariz.
2/12/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
By Brooke Ortale | UTAMavs.com
TEMPE, Ariz. - UTA softball fell to No. 17 Utah in the finale of the Kajikawa Classic Sunday afternoon in Tempe, Ariz.
The Utes were able to draw two-straight walks and a hit-by-pitch, followed by back-to-back hits to plate five runs in the first. Utah tacked one another in the third, two in the fourth and four in the fifth to take the 12-0 nothing victory.
The Mavs finished their opening weekend 1-4, earning their first win of the season over New Mexico.
Offensively, UTA's underclassmen had some impressive debuts. Aileen Garcia recorded a team-high seven hits with two doubles to hit .467. She also had a team-high three multiple hit games on the weekend. Reagan Wright started off her UTA career with a bang, launching a solo shot followed by an RBI double in her first-career start.
Coming off a freshman season that saw her garner All-Sun Belt Conference and NFCA All-Region accolades, Krista Rude picked up right where she left off, hitting .412 with seven hits. Rude is the only Maverick with a hit in all five games to start 2017. She opened 2016 with a 13-game hit-streak.
Laura Curry and Sandra Mendoza also had strong weekends at the plate hitting .353 and .357 respectively. Each tallied hits in four of the five games played.
The Mavs are back on the road next weekend, playing in the Lion Classic II, hosted by Southeastern Louisiana Feb. 17-19.
