May 24, 2018
Final Stats
LOS ANGELES - Eastern Kentucky knocked a tournament-record five home runs on the way to topping UT Arlington 8-6 on Thursday afternoon in the NISC Championship Round elimination game. The Mavericks end their season with a 30-28 record and for a second consecutive year in the postseason.
Seven of the eight EKU runs came by the way of the long ball, while UTA had its opportunity in the final frame, stranding the tying run on base with a long fly out to center. The 30 wins accumulated mark the first time since the 2006 and 2007 seasons that the Mavs finished with more than 30 wins in back-to-back seasons.
An offensive battle saw the teams combined for 20 hits, UTA knocking nine. Bri Burchianti and Whitney Walton each displayed season highs with three, Walton crossing the dish on three occasions. After Randi Phillips departed the game, Alyssa Chavez came in for the performance of the season for the senior to keep the Mavs in the contest. Chavez struck out four in 4.1 frames pitched, allowing just two earned runs and walking one.
Senior Sandra Mendoza closed out her UTA career with a 1-for-4 day at the dish, scoring a run. Mendoza closes her historic career with 251 hits, only the third player in program with 250 or more, 154 runs, second in UTA history, 43 doubles (second), and a batting average that is sixth all-time. Scoring on Thursday for the second time in the tournament, her 38 runs scored in 2018 are tied for fourth in single-season history. Mendoza joined Walton on the NISC All-Tournament team.
A wild first frame saw each team send two across. Eastern Kentucky opened scoring in the top half with a two-out homer to left, while the Mavs took advantage of a wild pitch and error to bring a pair in. It was the long ball that hurt again in the fourth to score four. EKU hit back-to-back home runs to start the frame, and would knock another two-run shot to lead 6-2. UTA showed intentions of not going away with a three run third that was started by Mendoza's single up the middle. Rude followed it up with a sacrifice bunt that resulted in a single and throwing error to push both into scoring position.
Another wild pitch brought in Rude, following by Walton's single into left to score rude. With the bases loaded, Brittany Wyllie grounded out to a fielder's choice to bring in another UTA run and trim the deficit down to just one.
A solo shot again in the fourth and a hit through the infield in the seventh added insurance for the Colonels. UTA threatened in the seventh as the winning run came to the plate, but the long fly out to center ended the contest and eliminated the Mavericks.
