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SAN MARCOS, Texas -- An strike away from its first series win at Texas State in 19 years, UTA allowed a game-tying single in the ninth and a walk-off double in the 10th inning in a 7-6 loss in the regular-season finale on Saturday afternoon at Bobcat Ballpark.

UTA (30-24, 20-10 Sun Belt Conference) rolled through the first five innings with a five-run lead and appeared to be poised to win the regular-season finale in a game that did not have an impact on the standings for either team. The Mavs saw their lead evaporate with five two-out runs in the fifth inning but regained the lead in the eighth on a two-out triple from red-hot Noah Vaughan for a one-run lead.

The Mavs took the one-run lead into the ninth inning with two outs, before Dylan Paul singled home the game-tying run with two strikes to force extras. After a leadoff single fell into shallow centerfield, Derek Scheible doubled over the head of UTA centerfielder Phil Berthiaume to score Mickey Scott with the game-winning run.

The game was without meaning in the Sun Belt Conference standings as the Mavs had locked up the Sun Belt Western Division title on Friday with a 12-5 win, setting a new program record with their 20th conference win. With the division title, UTA is the No. 2 seed in the Sun Belt Championships, hosted by Georgia Southern, and will play on Wednesday against the winner of a play-in game, played on Tuesday.

ON THE MOUND
UTA turned to senior righty Matt Michalski for his third start of the year and his first Sun Belt start. Michalski worked three shutout innings, allowing two hits and one walk, striking out one. With a 3-1 lead to open the fourth inning, Jordon West replaced Michalski and worked 1.2 innings before Brad Vassar came on to get the final out in the fifth.

Vassar worked 2.1 innings, allowing two hits and one run, walking one and striking out three. With the go-ahead run in scoring position and two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, UTA called on Dylan Schneider in relief, with the righty getting a strikeout to strand the runner.

After the Mavs took a 6-5 lead in the top of the eighth, Austin Gardner opened the bottom half of the inning on the mound, working around a leadoff walk in a shutout frame.

Daniel James took the mound looking for his Sun Belt leading 14th save of the year in the ninth inning. He suffered the loss to fall to 0-3 on the year, allowing five hits and two runs in 1.1 innings, striking out one.

Texas State starter Wes Engle worked 2.2 innings, allowing four hits and three runs, walking three. Brandon Courville replaced him in the third inning and got four outs. Shane Daugherty worked the next 2.1 innings with two runs allowed before Connor Reich came on in relief. Zachary Leigh worked 1.2 innings and Brayden Theriot (5-1) earned the win with the final out in the top of the 10th inning.

AT THE PLATE
The Mavs were led at the plate by three-hit games from Noah Vaughan and RJ Williams, with Vaughan ripping his fourth triple and all three of his RBI coming with two outs. UTA got two-hit games from Aaron Funk and Will Olson and hits from Zac Cook and Easton Johnson. Omar Salinas drew a crucial walk that led to the go-ahead run in the eighth.

HOW THEY SCORED
The Mavs opened the scoring in the second inning, taking a 1-0 lead on three hits. Olson drew a leadoff walk and after the first out, Vaughan beat out an infield single on a chopper to the right side. Williams followed with a ringing hit to leftfield to load the bases for Funk. Funk singled to rightfield, plating Olson for an early UTA lead.

In the top of the third inning, Cook started a UTA rally with a leadoff walk. After a pair of deep outs in rightfield, Olson was hit by a pitch and Rohrbaugh drew a walk to load the bases with two outs. Vaughan smacked a 1-1 offering into centerfield, scoring Cook and Olson for a 3-0 lead.

UTA added on in the fifth inning, plating two runs for a 5-0 lead. Olson led off with a single into centerfield and Rohrbaugh drew a walk. After an out, Williams loaded the bags with a single to leftfield. Funk followed with an RBI knock of his own, to leftfield and Johnson forced home Rohrbaugh with a bases-loaded walk.

The Bobcats got on the board with two-out damage in the fifth inning. Jonathan Ortega drew a walk and Luke Sherley and Jaylen Hubbard singled to load the bases. Theodore Hoffman scored Ortega and Sherley with a single into centerfield. Hoffman scored after Dylan Paul singled to leftfield, cutting the lead to 5-4. Paul stole second and then scored on Travon Benton's RBI knock to centerfield to even up the game.

UTA regained the lea in the eighth inning, as Salinas worked a full-count walk to leadoff, taking second on a sacrifice bunt and third on a deep fly out. Vaughan then ripped a two-strike, two-out triple down the rightfield line, scoring Salinas for a 6-5 lead.

In the ninth inning, Texas State got a two-out single from Jaylen Hubbard in a quality at-bat and Theodore Hoffman chopped a bad-hop grounder to the left side that Johnson couldn't control. Paul then delivered the game-tying single into left-centerfield.

UTA got the go-ahead run into scoring position in the top of the 10th inning but couldn't get him across.

Scott opened the 10th inning with a shallow single into centerfield. After a sacrifice bunt pushed him to scoring position. Scheible then pinch hit and delivered a deep drive over the head of Phil Berthiaume in centerfield, allowing Scott to motor home for the walk-off run.

NEXT
The Mavs have advanced to the Sun Belt Conference Championships in Statesboro, Ga., as the No. 2 seed. UTA will face the winner of Tuesday's play-in game on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. CT.