Final Stats

ARLINGTON, Texas - A five-run fifth helped clinch a series sweep of Appalachian State as UT Arlington took the finale 7-3 on Saturday at Allan Saxe Field.

The Mavericks, with their first sweep of the season, went above .500 to improve to 17-16 overall and 7-4 in Sun Belt play. Appalachian State dropped to 12-17 and 2-7. Aileen Garcia led the offense with her fourth multi-hit game of the season, knocking a pair of hits and scoring a run. Whitney Walton drove in two on her hit, also scoring one. Walton finished with five hits in three games against the Mountaineers, driving in four and crossing for five runs.

"The message that we have been saying is to win the inning," UTA coach Peejay Brun said. "If they score, then we have to score more. Not even looking at the innings, we've been noticing that they have been scoring in the fifth so we have to score. Our goal was to win every inning and to do it for three games was pretty amazing by these players."

It was a combination of pitchers that got the job done on Saturday. JoJo Valencia got the start in the circle and went 2.2 frames, giving up just one earned and three hits. Randi Phillips picked up the win with 4.1 innings of work, allowing three hits and two earned runs. Phillips improved to 8-5.

The Mavericks begin a season-long eight-game trip on Tuesday when they are scheduled to travel to take on Houston Baptist at 3 p.m.

QUICK HITS:

• Sandra Mendoza extended her hitting streak to seven games.
• Mendoza, Walton and Rude have each reached safely in the last seven.
• Walton's two RBI gave her a team-high four games wiht two and five with multiple overall.
• Following its trip to HBU on Tuesday, UTA resumes SBC play at ULM on Saturday. UTA has won its last three league series.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
App State got out of the bottom of the second as UTA stranded three and took advantage to start off the third. The Mountaineers loaded the bases on a hit-by-pitch and a walk sent in the opening run. However, that'd be all that App State could cross with a line out to left ending the threat as Phillips entered the mound.

The Mavs made it a second consecutive inning with bases loaded in the bottom of the third, all coming on two outs. A walk, single and taking of third as Walton caught the catcher sleeping set the table. Walton trotted home on Reagan Wright's smash through the middle, while Kjirstyn Murphy followed her up with a liner in the same spot to put UTA up 2-1.

Both teams were held scoreless in the fourth, but similarly to Game 1's and 2 of the series, a wild fifth broke out.

App State plated two in the top half coming on a two-out rally and singles through the infield. UTA came right back with five runs coming on three hits and taking advantage of three App State errors in the bottom half, including Walton's single down the line to bring in two.

The Mountaineers attempted another rally in the seventh, but stranded three on base as the potential tying run lined out to left to end the game.