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MONROE, La. -- Trae Patterson worked eight shutout innings and Brady Cox collected three hits, leading UTA to a 10-2 win at ULM to clinch the three-game series, on a cloudy Saturday afternoon at Warhawk Field.

The Mavs used a five-run top of the first inning to break open the game early, adding two runs in the fourth and fifth and a run in the third inning. Patterson held the Warhawks at bay, surrendering just four singles, before ULM got on the board in the ninth inning.

UTA (22-17, 12-5 Sun Belt Conference) clinched the series with the win, markings the fifth series win for the Mavs in their first six conference weekends. UTA is 20-10 since March, have won four consecutive games and are 10-3 over its last 13 games.

The Mavs have vaulted into contention in the Sun Belt Conference regular-season championship race. With a 12-5 mark through 17 games, the Mavs sit just a half game behind Coastal Carolina (11-5-1), with Louisiana (11-4-1) also in contention. CCU concludes its series with Georgia Southern on Sunday and Louisiana is in the midst of a doubleheader on Saturday and will conclude the series on Sunday at Little Rock.

ON THE MOUND
A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Patterson (4-3) worked eight shutout innings in his sixth quality start of the year. Patterson allowed only four singles and two walks, striking out five. Combined with a shutout innings on Tuesday vs. No. 23 Texas A&M, Patterson threw nine shutout innings during the week.

Logan Austin pitched the ninth inning for the Mavs, allowing two runs with a strikeout.

ULM (11-29, 5-12 Sun Belt) starter Chase Beal (3-5) worked 3.1 innings, allowing nine hits and eight runs, walking one and striking out three. Trey Auger, Stephen Morrison, Matthew Reeves, Payton Coddou and Chase Cater worked in relief.

LEADING THE MAVS
Cox led the Mavs offensively with three hits, driving in a run and have his potential homer in the eighth inning robbed by the rightfielder. UTA also got a pair of doubles and triple from Noah Vaughan, with Easton Johnson and Omar Salinas each adding two hits. Phil Berthiaume, Quintin Rohrbaugh and Christian Hollie each added hits, with Will Olson drawing two walks and earning a ninth inning hit.

HOW THEY SCORED
In the top of the first inning, UTA opened the scoring. Berthiaume led off with a triple into shallow rightfield, with an attempted sliding stop allowing Berthiaume to motor to third. Cox then worked the count to 3-2 before ripping an RBI single up the middle. Salinas then kept the rally going with a shallow single down the leftfield line. Olson replaced Salinas at first base with a fielder's choice, moving Cox to third. Rohrbaugh then singled into left-centerfield, scoring Cox for a 2-0 lead. Vaughan then ripped a two-run triple midway up the wall in right-centerfield, scoring Cox and Rohrbaugh. Hollie then poked an RBI single through the right side, allowing Vaughan to plate.

UTA added a run in the third inning as Salinas led off with a double, taking third on a wild pitch and scoring on a grounder from Hollie that forced an attempted sliding stop at third base with two outs.

In the fourth, Johnson led off with a single, taking third on a knock from Cox. Salinas then hung a sacrifice fly to centerfield to plate Johnson. A wild pitch and the sac fly moved Cox to third base, with the UTA third baseman scoring on a passed ball.

UTA got two runs in the fifth inning, with Rohrbaugh leading off with a walk and Vaughan doubling down the rightfield line. After a pair of outs, Johnson ripped a two-run single up the middle.

ULM plated two runs in the ninth for the final margin.

NEXT
The series will conclude on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT at Warhawk Stadium. UTA will turn to junior lefty Jakob Hernandez (3-0, 3.21 ERA) for the start.