March 11, 2017
Final Stats
By Cassie Logan | UTAMavs.com
ARLINGTON, Texas -- An offensive outburst in the fifth inning of game two helped UTA softball split its first Sun Belt doubleheader against ULM Saturday at Allan Saxe Field.
UTA (13-10, 1-1 SBC) bounced back from a 3-0 extra-inning loss to ULM (14-8, 1-1) in a first game that saw the Mavericks tape together six hits and a pair of errors through eight frames. It was a different story the second go-around as the squad rallied seven runs off the Warhawks' defensive meltdown in the fifth inning to push a 9-3 decision.
"The pitchers did a good job on both squads," UTA coach Kristie Fox said. "It was a pitchers duel in the first game and even the second one until that fifth inning. The pitching staffs on both teams did a good job of keeping the batters off balance."
The squad moved to 8-6 in Arlington and 40-49 in the all-time series against the Warhawks. Last season, UTA also dropped Game 1 before charging back to claim the final two games in the regular season against ULM.
Sandra Mendoza rose to a tie for seventh in career doubles (29) with her knock in Game 2. Her hit was one of 10 UTA registered while taking advantage of six Warhawk errors, four coming in the fifth inning. Laura Curry went 3-for-4 with two runs. Kacey Everett was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
ULM was first to strike in Game 2 as a bases-loaded walk plated one and a two-RBI double to center stretched the Warhawk lead to three. The comfort wouldn't last long as UTA scratched its first runs of the day in the fourth as Whitney Walton sac flied to plate a run, and a throwing error added an extra to make it 3-2.
The Mavericks pushed the game out of reach in the fifth on six hits, including a Walton triple and a sac bunt from Krista Rude that plated a pair. Mariah Denson (1-5) picked up her first career win in the final five innings. She threw four hits, two walks and eight strikeouts. Sam Montes etched three earned runs on four hits in her opening two innings.
Mendoza was the lone multi-hit game with a 2-for-4 performance in Game 1. Sam Clakley dropped to 9-5 on the year. The sophomore was responsible for three runs on nine hits, five walks and a trio of punchouts. Her ERA still remains a low 1.16.
The Mavericks look to take the series from ULM with a noon finale on Sunday at Allan Saxe Field.
