Final Stats

By Brooke Ortale | UTAMavs.com

ARLINGTON, Texas - A balanced offensive attack led UTA Softball to a 10-1 win over UMKC in the finale of the UTA Invitational on Sunday.

"The girls did a good job," UTA head coach Kristie Fox said. "Today was the first day we as a coaching staff actually saw them do what we expected them to do. I'm hoping they continue to build off of that today."

After doing a masterful job of manufacturing two runs in the first on an RBI fielder's choice by Reagan Wright and a RBI sacrifice fly by Laura Curry in the first, the Mavs exploded for a six-run second.

Shelbi Sikes got it all started, lacing a double in the right centerfield gap. UTA followed with five more hits, including a pinch-hit RBI single by Bri Burchianti to plate six.

A RBI single by Krista Rude in the third and a sacrifice fly by Shelbi Sikes helped add to the lead and give UTA the 10-1, five-inning run-rule victory.

Eight of the nine Maverick starters reached base at least once, highlighted by Sandra Mendoza's 3-for-3 with two doubles performance. Laura Curry and Kacey Everett each had multiple hit games, going 2-for-2 and 2-for-3 respectively.

Whitney Walton and Wright each recorded a game-high two RBI, while six other Mavericks drove in a run.

Sam Clakley was brilliant on the mound, going the distance to improve to 7-2. She struckout five, while allowing one run, the first earned run she's surrendered in the last 39.1 innings.

"Sam C is one of the toughest girls that I know," Fox said. "She threw a lot of innings, got hit in the face and is going to throw a lot more innings and she doesn't complain. She wants the ball every time and that's huge for this program."

With the win UTA improved to 8-6, while UMKC dropped to 4-10.

The Mavericks open a busy week with a doubleheader against Saint Francis on Tuesday, Feb. 28. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. UTA welcomes in Southern for a game at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 2, before hosting the Maverick Classic March 3-5.