Box Score | Notes

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Omar Salinas belted his first career home run and drove in four runs, leading UTA to a 10-7 win at Georgia State to open its Sun Belt Conference schedule, on Friday night at the GSU Baseball Complex.

UTA (10-9, 1-0 SBC) won its conference opener for the third consecutive season, bouncing back after allowing a GSU grand slam in the second inning. UTA plated eight unanswered to stretch its lead to 8-4, including a two-run homer and a two-run double from Salinas. GSU rallied in the eighth inning with a three-run homer before the Mavs answered with a pair in the ninth.

ON THE MOUND
UTA senior righty Kadon Simmons (2-2) earned the win in his fifth start of the year. The native of Cut & Shoot, Texas, worked seven innings, allowing eight hits and four runs, walking three and striking out one. Simmons has worked into the seventh inning at least in 15 of his 20 starts and in 11 of his last 12 starts.

With a four-run lead to enter the eighth inning, sophomore Dylan Schneider took over on the bump. Schneider got an out in the eighth -- surrendering a three-run homer -- before the Mavs turned to righty Daniel James. James got the final two outs in the eighth and secure the win with three outs in the ninth inning, earning his second save of the week.

Georgia State (9-9, 0-1 SBC) righty Bryce Conley (2-3) worked five innings, allowing five hits and six runs, walking two and striking out one. GSU also used Tanner Thomson, Chris Sperry and Rhett Harper in relief.

AT THE DISH
A product of Arlington High School, Salinas led the Mavs at the plate with his 2-for-4, four-RBI game with Noah Vaughan also cranking a homer -- his team-leading fourth of the year. UTA also got a hit from Easton Johnson and Aaron Funk, and two knocks from Will Olson, with freshman shortstop Zac Cook collecting a career-best four-hit game. Phil Berthiaume, Quintin Rohrbaugh and Colton Turner each scored runs with key walks in the game.

HOW THEY SCORED
GSU got on the board first in the bottom of the second, getting an infield single down the third base line to leadoff and a first-pitch hit by pitch. After a sacrifice bunt pushed the pair of runners into scoring position, Will Kilgore drew a two-out walk to load the bases. Ryan Blanton then spanked the first pitch he saw over the rightfield fence for a grand slam, his fourth homer of the year.

The Mavs answered in the top of the third inning, as Johnson reached on a dropped fly ball in shallow leftfield and Salinas belted his first career homer over the wall in centerfield.

UTA took its first lead with four runs in the fourth inning. After Olson reached on a fielding error in the hole on the right side, Vaughan smashed a no-doubt, two-run homer over the fence in right-centerfield, his fourth of the year. Turner then drew a one-out walk, taking second on a wild pitch and scoring after Cook painted a double down the rightfield line. Cook then scored after Johnson ripped a line-drive single up the middle with two outs.

In the top of the sixth inning, UTA added two its lead, getting a single from Cook and a walk from Phil Berthiaume. Salinas then pounded a double off the top of the wall in centerfield, scoring the pair.

GSU got three runs back in the bottom of the eighth inning, getting a three-run homer from Jaylen Woullard, the first of his season.

The Mavs rallied in the ninth, getting Olson on with a single and Rohrbaugh with a hit by pitch. Funk then came off the bench to rip a pinch-hit, run-scoring single to plate Olson. Cook followed with his fourth hit of the game, a single to score Rohrbaugh.

NEXT
UTA returns to the series on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT at the GSU Baseball Complex. The Mavs will start junior righty Trae Patterson (1-1, 2.88 ERA) in his fifth start.