HONOLULU – After facing the #1 team in the nation, UCLA, and a club receiving votes in the national polls, Fresno State, on its season-opening day Thursday, the UT Arlington softball team (1-3) picked up its first victory of the year Friday by run-ruling Saint Mary's, 8-0, before falling in the nightcap to host Hawaii on a walk-off, 8-7.
 
Against Hawaii, UTA erased a 6-0 1st-inning deficit, tied the game in the top of the 7th courtesy of a Reagan Wright two-run home run, but ultimately came up just short as the Rainbow Wahine delivered a walk-off double in the bottom of the frame. It was the third one-loss decision for the Mavericks in their first four games of the young season.
 
Offensively for the Mavs, Krista Rude went a combined 4-7 over the two games, scoring three runs out of the second position in head coach Peejay Brun's lineup. Whitney Walton went 2-for-2 with a pair of walks, two RBI and a run scored in the opener, and followed it up with 1-for-2 performance with another pair of walks and a run scored in the nightcap.
 
Aileen Garcia and Melanie Mendoza each drove in two runs against Saint Mary's, and each had an RBI versus Hawaii as well. Mendoza went 2-for-3 with two doubles in the second game of the day. Wright finished with three RBI as the homer was the first of the season for the Mavs.
 
In the first game of the day against Saint Mary's, UTA starter Randi Phillips picked up her first win of the season by tossing four innings, scattering three hits, striking out two and walking just one. She was relieved by freshman Laura Henriksen, who in her collegiate debut went two innings and allowed just one hit while keeping the shutout intact.
 
Against Hawaii, Phillips was lifted after one inning, turning the ball over to Allie Gardner, who went 5.1 innings, striking out six and limiting four hits before suffering another tough loss.
 
SAINT MARY'S RECAP
UTA used two big innings to jump all over Saint Mary's, scoring three runs in the 2nd, four more in the 4th and closed the game by plating one more run in the 6th.
 
In the 2nd, Mendoza opened the scoring by bringing Walton – who had reached via a leadoff walk – all the way around from first to score on a double down the left-field line. KJ Murphy wasted no time at all in adding another run as she sent the first pitch she saw into left as well to plate Mendoza. Following a sacrifice bunt by Brittany Wyllie which advanced Murphy from first to third, Bri Burchianti sent a sac fly to center on a full count to give the Mavs a 3-0 lead.
 
In the 4th, UTA scored all four of its runs with two outs off a pair of doubles. The first came off the bat of Garcia as she doubled to center on a 1-1 delivery to score Rude and Burchianti to put the Mavericks in front, 5-0. That lead was extended to 7-0 moments later when Walton doubled to left-center to bring around Garcia and Wright, who had reached on a fielder's choice.
 
UTA's final run of the afternoon came in the 6th to extend to the run-rule prompting 8-0 lead as Mendoza delivered a single to right-center to score Megan Mitchell, who pinch ran for Wright after the catcher drew a walk.
 
HAWAII RECAP
The hosts raced out of the box, taking a aforementioned 6-0 lead in the 1st inning thanks to a pair of UTA miscues which led to only one of the six runs being earned to Phillips' stat line. She was relieved in the 2nd by Gardiner, who pitched brilliantly until a tough final inning.
 
The Mavs got two of those runs back in the top of the 3rd. The first came after Wright plated Laura Curry, who had reached on an infield single, and the second run was registered when Garcia also beat out an infield single to score Rude – who also reached on an infield single earlier in the frame.
 
UTA continued to chip away in the 6th when Mendoza doubled to right center to score Walton, who worked a full count before walking, and then on a throwing error and Hawaii miscue, Mendoza ended up scoring on the play to make it a 6-4 deficit.
 
Leading off the 7th, Rude sent a bunt single to third, setting the stage for Wright's heroics. After taking a ball and a strike, the preseason All-Sun Belt Conference selection drove a two-run home run to left to tie the contest at 6-6.
 
A few batters later, Murphy grounded out up the middle, but it was enough to score Walton from third as the Mavs took the 7-6 lead.
 
However, Hawaii had a response as the Rainbow Wahine led off the bottom of the frame with a double off the very top of the center-field wall, which was followed by a walk, a fly out to center and a hit by pitch which loaded the bases with one out. Then on the first pitch – with the outfield shifting slap hitter Brittnee Rossi to left center – the lefty pulled an offering into the vacated right center grass to give Hawaii the 8-7 triumph.
 
NEXT UP
UTA will conclude its Hawaii trip with its fifth, and final, game in three days on Saturday when the Mavs take on fellow Sun Belt Conference member Georgia State at 1 p.m. Central (9 a.m. local).