HONOLULU – The UT Arlington softball team (2-3) ended the Hawaii Paradise Classic on a high note with a 9-1 run-rule win over Georgia State on Saturday.
 
UTA took advantage of a pair of Georgia State errors in the 1st inning to jump out to a 4-0 lead. A UTA run in the 6th ended the game in six innings.

Melanie Mendoza drove in four runs, including three RBI in the 5th inning; Mendoza went 1-for-3 on the day. Laura Curry reached base each time she came up to the plate, going 4-for-4 with a pair of runs. She also drove in a run. Krista Rude and Whitney Walton scored two runs apiece in the win.
 
JoJo Valencia started for the Mavericks and pitched three innings to pick up her first win of the season. Valencia struck out two batters. In her second appearance of the season, Laura Henriksen pitched three scoreless innings of relief.
 
Valencia out-dueled Georgia State's Emily Soles, who surrendered eight hits and eight earned runs in 4.2 innings.
 
Rude got things started in the 1st inning with a walk in the bottom of the frame. Curry bunted Rude over to second, but a throwing error allowed Rude to score. After Curry advanced to third base, Reagan Wright singled to center field to bring Curry home. Wright moved over to second on another throwing error. Two batters later, Walton tripled down the right-field line to bring Curry home. Mendoza then grounded out to bring Walton home.
 
Georgia State got on the board in the top of the 3rd inning when Alyssa Brumelow hit an RBI single to score Baylee Sexton from second base.
 
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the 5th, Aileen Garcia hit a sacrifice fly to score Rude. Walton then walked to reload the bases before Mendoza doubled down the left-field line to clear the bases and give the Mavericks an 8-1 lead.
 
In the bottom of the 6th inning, Megan Mitchell pinch ran for Avery Grimes. Mitchell scored on a Curry RBI single to end the game.
 
NEXT UP
After playing five games in three days, the Mavericks are off until next Friday, when they open up at Baylor's Getterman Classic in Waco against Sam Houston State at 10 a.m.