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JONESBORO, Ark. -- Omar Salinas collected a career-high four hits and Brad Vassar worked a season-long 3.1 innings in relief to lead No. 23 UTA to an 11-7 win at Arkansas State to open the three-game series on Friday night at Tomlinson Field.

UTA (27-18, 17-5 Sun Belt) remained in first place in the conference standings with the win, UTA's school-record 14th road win of the season. The Mavs have posted a 9-1 record in road games in conference play, have won eight straight league games and own a 25-11 record since March.

In an offensive game for a Friday night, the teams traded big innings in the first, with UTA plating three runs and Arkansas State (22-22, 10-12 Sun Belt) getting a five-run frame for an early lead. UTA answered back to take the lead for good with a four-run second inning, adding three in the fifth and one in the eighth inning. ASU got a two-run frame in the fifth.

With UTA star Friday night starter Kadon Simmons limited to a pair of outs in the first inning, the Mavs got a strong relief outing from junior southpaw Brad Vassar (3-1), who worked 3.1 innings to pick up the pitching staff.

ON THE MOUND
Simmons worked 0.2 innings - the shortest start of his decorated two-year career. Simmons allowed five hits and five runs, walking two and striking out one on 42 pitches. With the bases juiced and two outs, UTA turned to Vassar in relief of Simmons, with Vassar stranding the bases loaded.

Vassar worked a season-long 3.1 innings, allowing just two hits and one run, walking three and striking out one on 74 pitches. After the leadoff runner reached in the fifth, UTA turned to Dylan Schneider in relief. Schneider worked two innings, allowing two hits and a run, not issuing a walk and striking out one.

Austin Gardner took over for the Mavs to open the seventh inning. Gardner worked 2.1 innings, loading the bases in the bottom of the ninth with an out. Daniel James took over in relief in the ninth-inning jam. He earned his 12th save of the year - second-most in UTA single-season history - and the 15th of his career, getting a pair of strikeouts to end the threat, using just nine pitches.

Arkansas State starter Bryan Ayers (2-5) worked 1.1 innings, allowing four hits and six runs, walking three without a strikeout. Bo Ritter replaced Ayers in the second inning and worked 5.2 innings to save the bullpen for the Wolves, allowing eight hits and four runs, not issuing a walk and striking out four. Brandon Stuckenschneider also worked in relief.

LEADING THE MAVS
Salinas led the Mavs with a career-high four-hit game, ripping a pair of doubles and driving in three. UTA also got two-hit games from Zac Cook, Quintin Rohrbaugh, Aaron Funk and Easton Johnson. Brady Cox scored three runs and had a hit, with Noah Vaughan driving in one run and Will Olson driving in two with key RBI groundouts.

HOW THEY SCORED
UTA took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, getting a leadoff double from Cook and a slow-rolling infield single from Cox. Salinas scored Cook with an RBI double, painted down the rightfield line. Olson forced home Cox with an RBI groundout and after a walk to Rohrbaugh, Vaughan hung a sac fly to score Salinas for an early lead.

The Red Wolves answered in the bottom of the first inning, getting a leadoff single from Grant Hawkins on a 0-2 offering and a walk from Joe Schrimpf to open the game. After a wild pitch moved the runners into scoring position, Simmons responded with a strikeout. Justin Felix then got the Wolves on the board with an RBI groundout and Jeremy Brown smacked an RBI single with two outs through the right side. Alex Howard tied the game with an RBI double into the left-centerfield gap, scoring Brown. ASU took the lead with a single from Drew Tipton, a sinking liner that bounced out of the sliding glove of Rohrbaugh in leftfield with two outs. Derek Birginske then singled up the middle to score Jake Bakamus, who was hit with a two-strike pitch.

UTA regained the lead in the top of the second plating four runs on three hits. Johnson started the rally with a one-out single to left and Cook and Cox loaded the bases and chased Ayers with one-out walks. Salinas greeted the new reliever with a two-run double, with Olson giving UTA a lead and Rohrbaugh scoring Salinas with a two-out knock to left.

The Mavs plated three runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 10-5 lead. Rohrbaugh was hit by a pitch to leadoff and Williams singled up the middle with one out. Funk then singled home Rohrbaugh with a knock to right-centerfield and Johnson scored Williams with a single into rightfield. Cook second hit of the game scored Funk for a five-run lead.

A-State got two runs back in the bottom of the fifth inning, getting three straight singles to leadoff, with Birginske singling home Bakamus. Tipton scored on an RBI fielder's choice from Joe Schrimpf.

The Mavs tacked on an insurance run in the top of the eighth inning, loading the bases with two outs for Williams, who drew a walk to force in Cox for an 11-7 UTA lead.

NEXT
The series will resume on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT at Tomlinson Field. UTA will start junior RHP Trae Patterson (5-3, 2.85 ERA) vs. ASU sophomore RHP Bradley Welsh (3-1, 6.27 ERA).