ARLINGTON - Reagan Wright served as the hero Wednesday night, lifting the UT Arlington softball team past the North Texas Mean Green with a walk-off grand slam, giving the Mavericks a 13-10 win in extra innings.

"I just knew I needed to get on base and it just happened to go over," Wright said after the win. "I was looking for something up in the zone that I could drive. I got that pitch, so I took it."

The two teams put on an offensive clinic , combining for 28 hits in the game, including seven home runs. The offenses particularly came alive with two outs in the inning. Twelve of the combined 23 runs came when the batters were facing a two-out situation. The Mean Green in particular fed off the two-out inning, scoring scoring seven of their ten runs when facing the end of the inning.

The Mavs (9-6) gave a preview of what was to come in the first inning.  Facing a pitcher that entered the game with a 0.95 ERA, UTA quickly put up three runs on her with a three-run double by Wright in the first inning. In the bottom of the second, Krista Rue drove in Kayci Moore to make it a four-run game.

Not to be outdone, the North Texas fired back, scoring four runs in the third inning before taking a one-run lead in the fourth with solo shot by Rhylie Makawe to make it 5-4 in favor of the Mean Green.

As would be the case all night, whenever one team scored, the other had an answer.  The Mavs tied the game again in the fourth and used a Brittany Wyllie two run blast two give UTA a 7-5 lead at the end of five innings.  

UNT used a three-run sixth inning, coming off two home runs, to take a one-run lead.  With UTA unable to match in the sixth, the Mean Green extended their lead to two runs coming off an error in the top of the seventh.

Needing two runs to extend the game, the Mavs got just that coming off a Wyllie single to right field and a ground out by Melanie Mendoza, the latter being the game tying run.

With two outs in the top of the eighth, it appeared that the Mavs would escape the inning, but Tannah Evans gave UNT one final lead with a solo shot to center field, putting UTA in rally mode once more.

The bottom frame of the inning couldn't have started any better for the Mavs, loading the bases before getting any outs.  Following a strikeout, Wright stepped up the plate, and just as she began the game, she ended it, putting the Mavs up three runs, but this time with a walk-off grand slam to give UTA the final 13-10 win.

"Our team kept battling back," Head Coach Peejay Brun said. "We never gave up, never threw the towel in. I'm proud of these players tonight."

NEXT UP
UTA will head to Lubbock to compete in the Texas Tech Tournament where they will get two more games against the Mean Green, as well as two games against host Texas Tech on Friday and Saturday (March 1-2).
 
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for the Maverick Invitational are now available and can be purchased for individual days. All seating is general admission, and tickets can be secured by logging on to UTATickets.com.

SEASON TICKET INFORMATION
Season tickets are now on sale for the 2019 UT Arlington softball season, beginning at just $50. All seating is general admission, and tickets can be secured by logging on to UTATickets.com.

FOLLOW THE MAVS
For the latest news on UTA Softball log on to UTAMavs.com or stay connected to the Mavs on social media. Follow the Mavericks on Twitter @UTASoftball.