Box Score March 18, 2018
Box Score | Notes
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Noah Vaughan belted a two-run, walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth inning - UTA's second consecutive game won via a walk-off homer - to lift the Mavericks to a 6-5 comeback win over Georgia State, on Sunday afternoon at Clay Gould Ballpark.
UTA (9-9, 3-0 Sun Belt Conference) swept its first weekend of conference play with consecutive walk-off homers. On Friday, UTA posted a 6-4 win to open the series, getting a key homer from Will Olson in a four-run sixth inning.
With UTA trailing by four runs and the game suspended in the eighth inning on Saturday, the teams resumed the contest on Sunday morning. UTA rallied from behind to take a one-run lead into the ninth inning after a five-run eighth but a run in the top of the ninth evened up the game heading to the bottom half. After a pair of outs, Will Olson cranked his second homer of the game ad third of the weekend over the rightfield fence for his second walk-off homer of the year.
The series finale came after the walk-off homer from Olson, with the Mavs falling behind 4-2 entering the bottom of the eighth inning. The Mavs rallied to cut the lead to 4-3 and after allowing a run in the top of the ninth inning faced a two-run hole entering the bottom of the frame. After a leadoff single opened the inning, Vaughan pulled his fifth homer of the year, a no-doubt blast over the rightfield fence.
It marked UTA's third walk-off homer and fourth walk-off win of the year in 12 games at Clay Gould Ballpark. The Mavs swept their opening weekend series in league play for the first time since 2006 while in the Southland Conference.
The win marked a historic week for the Mavs, who earned five wins in six days. The Mavs opened the week with an 18-inning win at No. 6 Texas A&M in the longest game played in TAMU history, then pasted Minnesota on Wednesday despite arriving home after 4 a.m.
LEADING THE MAVS
Vaughan's fifth homer and 2-for-5 game with three RBI highlighted the outing for the Mavs at the plate. RJ Williams added a pair of hits with all nine starters collecting knocks. Olson, Zac Cook, Christian Hollie, Omar Salinas, Josh Minjarez, David Renning and Aaron Funk each had hits.
ON THE MOUND
UTA starter Ka'ikpeono Anderson worked five-plus innings, allowing eight hits and three runs, walking one and striking out a career-high eight. After a leadoff double in the sixth, UTA turned to Andrew Gross in relief. Gross got and pair of outs and Ryan Buss came on to get the final out of the seventh inning and worked two innings, allowing three hits and a run, walking one and striking out two.
Freshman Carlos Tavera came on with two outs in the eighth inning to escape the jam but was relieved after a leadoff walk in the ninth inning. With the go-ahead runner at first and no outs in the ninth, David Moffat took over for Tavera. Moffat (3-4) won his second game of the day - also working 1.1 shutout in relief in the first game - with a shutout ninth inning.
Georgia State starter Jordan Lee worked 6.1 innings, allowing seven hits and two runs - one earned - walking three and striking out two. Troy Horton worked in relief in the seventh inning, before giving way to Liam Henry and Tyler Koch in the eighth. Koch (0-2) suffered the loss, allowing two runs on three hits.
NEXT
The Mavs will return to action on Tuesday, hosting Abilene Christian at 6:30 p.m. CT at Clay Gould Ballpark.
HOW THEY SCORED
The Mavs opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning, getting a first-pitch, leadoff single from Cook and an infield knock from Williams. Vaughan then scored Cook with a single into leftfield and Williams scored on a double play from Hollie.
Georgia State answered in the top of the second inning, getting a two-strike leadoff double from Jack Thompson and a walk from Jake Corso. After a strikeout, Will Kilgore painted a double down the leftfield line to score Thompson from second.
The Panthers evened up the game in the third inning, getting a pair of infield singles to leadoff the inning before Brandon Bell singled through the right side, allowing Justin Jones to score from second.
GSU took the lead in the sixth inning, getting a leadoff double from Ryan Glass, scoring on a ground-ball double play from Luke Leonard.
The Panthers added on in the eighth, getting a leadoff walk rom Kilgore and an RBI single from Romero Greer.
UTA tied up the game in the eighth inning, getting a leadoff runner on after an HBP to Hollie and a walk to Salinas. After a fly out, Minjarez singled home Hollie to cut the lead in half. After the second out, Funk singled to right-centerfield with two strikes to tie the game.
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