Box Score | Notes

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Christian Hollie had three hits and Dylan Schneider earned his first win of the year on the mound, leading UTA to a 9-6 win over Troy to kick off a series-opening doubleheader, on a sunny Friday afternoon at Clay Gould Ballpark.

In a battle of two of the top pitching units in the Sun Belt Conference, UTA (13-14, 4-3 Sun Belt Conference) and Troy (13-11, 3-4 Sun Belt) saw the game head into the fifth inning with UTA leading 8-5, courtesy of a four-run first and a four-run fourth.

ON THE MOUND
UTA senior starter Kadon Simmons worked 3.2 innings - the shortest outing of his two-year career - allowing seven hits and five runs, with four runs earned, walking one and striking out two. It snapped his streak of working into the seventh inning in 11 of his previous 13 starts.

With the go-ahead run in scoring position in the fourth inning, Schneider came on in relief, allowing the base hit to surrender the lead. Schneider (1-2) worked 3.2 innings in relief, allowing three hits and one run, walking one with a strikeout. Adam Meyer retired a pair of lefties in the eighth before Daniel James nailed down his fourth save of the year with a perfect ninth inning.

Troy starter Daren Osby (4-2) worked 3.2 innings, allowing five runs on five hits, walking two and striking out one. Troy also used Evan Hebert, Lance Johnson and Jimmy Robbins in relief.

AT THE DISH
Hollie led the Mavs with a 3-for-4 game at the plate, driving in two runs. UTA also got a two-hit game from Quintin Rohrbaugh and Noah Vaughan drove in a pair of runs with a hit, scoring twice. UTA also got hits from Easton Johnson, Omar Salinas, Will Olson and RJ Williams, with Aaron Funk driving in a run and Brady Cox scoring once.

HOW THEY SCORED
Troy opened the scoring in the top of the first inning, getting a runner to second with two outs, before a ball skidded under the wickets of a UTA defender in the infield, allowing Brandon Lockridge to score.

UTA immediately answered with four runs on three hits in the bottom of the first inning, doing all its damage with two outs. Rohrbaugh reached on a full-count walk with two outs and Olson and Cox were plunked by pitches to load the bases. Vaughan delivered a two-out, two-RBI single through the right side and Williams followed with a one-hop single into centerfield to score Cox. Hollie kept the RBI party going with a single into center, scoring Vaughan from second.

In the top of the second inning, Troy rallied to get the game to 4-3, getting a one-out walk and a RBI double from Justin Friend. Matt Sanders then legged out an infield hit to score Friend from third with two outs.

Troy took the lead back in the top of the fourth inning, getting a leadoff single and a knock from Friend. After the second out, Matt Sanders doubled home the tying run and Drew Frederic singled in the infield to score Friend and give Troy a 5-4 lead.

The Mavs immediately answered in the bottom of the fourth as Hollie tripled into the right-centerfield gap, his sixth career three bagger. Funk then hung a sacrifice fly to leftfield, scoring Hollie. Johnson then drew a walk and Salinas dropped a single down the leftfield line. Rohrbaugh followed by ripping a RBI double down the leftfield line and Olson scored Salinas with a single up the middle. Cox forced in a run with his third sacrifice fly, extending UTA's lead to 8-5.

In the top of the seventh inning, Trevor Davis drew a two-out walk and scored on a double from Chase Smartt.

The Mavs got the run back in the bottom of the seventh as Vaughan reached on a misplayed infield pop up with one out. After a tremendous at-bat from Williams that led to a full-count walk, Hollie pounded the first pitch he saw from the side-arming right-hander into leftfield for a RBi knock to score Vaughan.

NEXT
The series will resume later on Friday night, with UTA starting junior righty Trae Patterson (1-2, 2.77 ERA) vs. Troy fifth-year senior southpaw Austin Crook (4-0, 2.15 ERA).