Box Score | Notes

ABILENE, Texas -- Reid Petty worked three one-run innings and Brad Vassar worked the following 3.1 shutout frames, leading UTA to a 5-4 win at Abilene Christian, snapping ACU's seven-game winning streak, on Wednesday night at Crutcher Scott Field.

UTA (6-7) stretched its winning streak to four games and snapped a seven-game streak for the Wildcats, which included a sweep last weekend over Creighton. The Mavs improved to 5-1 on the road in 2017 and have now played nine games that have been decided by two runs or less over their first 13 games.

The two teams traded single runs in the first inning - including a first-pitch homer from ACU to leadoff - before UTA took the lead on a two-run double from Omar Salinas in the second. After UTA got a run in the eighth, on a Salinas two-out single, ACU rallied in its half of the inning to plate two runs to get within a run. UTA got the run back in the ninth inning for the final margin.

ON THE MOUND
UTA starter Reid Petty worked over three innings, allowing three hits and one run, issuing one walk and equaling his career high with five strikeouts. After allowing a leadoff homer on the first pitch of the first inning, Petty settled in to get the Mavs in position for the win. Petty retired 9 of the 12 hitters he faced after the homer.

With a runner on first to leadoff the fourth, UTA turned to lefty Brad Vassar (1-1) to escape the early jam. Vassar worked 3.1 dominating innings, allowing only a single off his glove on a comebacker, finishing with four strikeouts. Vassar retired eight straight Wildcats after coming on in relief.

UTA turned to senior righty Austin Gardner in relief of Vassar in the seventh inning with one out. Gardner got out of the jam with a pair of quick outs and worked 1.2 innings, allowing two runs on two hits and one walk, striking out one. Adam Meyer came on in the eighth in relief of Gardner to strand the tying and go-ahead runners on base. Meyer opened the ninth inning before ACU got a leadoff homer and single, with the Mavs turning to Dylan Schneider. Schneider got three outs to strand the runners on and earn his first save of the year and the third of his career.

ACU (7-5) starter David Ruot (0-2) worked 1.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk, striking out one. The Wildcats also used Cyle Watkins, Bryce Hill, Keaton Brewer, Zac Kornely, Ryan Kotulek, Caleb Dougherty and Brandon Lambright in relief.

LEADING THE MAVS
The Mavs offense got multi-hit games from Brady Cox, Aaron Funk, Will Olson and Salinas, with UTA also getting key knocks from Phil Berthiaume, Noah Vaughan, Quintin Rohrbaugh and Easton Johnson. Salinas finished 3-for-4 with a walk, two doubles and three RBI.

HOW THEY SCORED
The Mavs scored in the top of the first inning as Salinas drew a one-out walk and Cox dropped a single into no-mans land down the rightfield line. Olson then spanked a single through the hole to load the bases for Rohrbaugh. Rohrbaugh chopped a grounder up the middle and was safe at first to allow Salinas to score the first run of the game.

The Wildcats answered on the first pitch of the bottom of the first inning as Dalon Farkas pulled his first homer of the year over the leftfield fence.

In the top of the second inning, UTA mounted a two-out rally, getting a knock up the middle from Funk and a single to left fro Berthiaume. Salinas then pounded a two-run double into the left-centerfield gap, scoring a pair.

UTA got back on the board in the eighth inning as Johnson singled with one out and scored on a two-out knock from Salinas.

ACU got a one-out double from Farkas in the eighth inning, a walk from Derek Scott and an RBI single from Luis Trevino. After the second out, UTA turned to Meyer, who allowed a run-scoring single but stranded the tying and go-ahead runs on base.

Olson led off the ninth inning with a single to left, scoring from first on Rohrbaugh's RBI double into the right-centerfield gap.

Myles Paschall hit the seventh pitch of his leadoff at bat in the ninth over the leftfield fence for his first career homer.

NEXT
The Mavs return to action with a weekend series with Milwaukee, with the opener set for Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT at Clay Gould Ballpark.