ARLINGTON, Texas – The UT Arlington softball team will end their seven-game home stand with a three-game series against Coastal Carolina, beginning on Thursday, April 18. Saturday's game will be the UTA Beats Cancer game for softball. To donate, please click the link below.

MATCHUP: UTA (21-23, 9-9 SBC) vs Coastal Carolina (32-12, 11-7 SBC)
WHEN: April 18-20
WHERE: Arlington, Texas | Allan Saxe Field
Presented by Liv+ and Lone Star Friends of Animals
GAME 1 (5 p.m.):  WATCH LIVE | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
GAME 2 (5 p.m.): WATCH LIVE | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
GAME 3 (12 p.m.): WATCH LIVE | LIVE STATS | TICKETS | UTA BEATS CANCER

SERIES HISTORY
Since joining the Sun Belt, the Mavericks have controlled the series, winning six of the seven games played. The Mavericks took the series over the Chants two games to one a season ago, winning games one and two in Conway before falling in game three.

UTA NOTES
• UTA will finish the season against the three teams immediately above them in the Sun Belt standings (Coastal Carolina, App State and Texas State).  Winning the final three series could catapult the Mavericks into third place in the Sun Belt. UTA currently sits 1.5 games back from Texas State, two games back from Coastal and 2.5 game back from App State.
• After going a stretch of 10 games without hitting a home run, the Mavericks have found their power again.  In the past three games, UTA has hit three dingers.  The three game home run stretch ties a season long for the Mavericks.  This is the third time that UTA has hit a home run in three consecutive games this season.
• Two Mavericks are on their way to finding their way into the record books this season.  Laura Curry (59 hits) and Whitney Walton (54) are approaching the top 10 for all-time hits.  Curry needs just two hits to join the list, while Walton needs seven.  The two leaders in hits in the Sun Belt look to be shoe-ins to join an elite list of Mavericks.
• Speaking of Walton, the Junior out of Lake Jackson has already secured a top four season in runs scored for the Mavericks as her 40 runs on the season push her past Laura Curry (2016) and Sandra Mendoza (2018) for 4th most in a single season.  Walton needs just four runs to tie the record set by Katie Jones in 2007 and five to break it.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT | COASTAL CAROLINA
• The Chants currently lead the Sun Belt Conference and seventh in the NCAA in home runs. Coastal has cranked out 65 home runs on the season.
• Coastal has the two home runs leaders in the Sun Belt.  Courtney Dean and Kassidy Smith have both hit 12 home runs on the season.
• The Chants have been dominate at home, posting a 23-7 record at St. John Stadium. However, they are only 6-5 in true road games.
• It will be a battle of patience at the plate between Coastal and UTA.  The Chants have the third most strikeouts as a pitching staff in the Sun Belt, while the Mavericks have been struck out the second least amount in the league. 

ON DECK
The Mavs get a small break after a recent grind.  They will be back on the diamond next Friday, April 26 when they travel to Boone, North Carolina for a three-game series against Appalachian State.

LAST TIME OUT | Mavs Topped By #11 Texas in Defensive Battle (April 16)
The UT Arlington softball team's (21-24) recent trend of success against Big 12 opponents this year came to an end on Tuesday night at Allan Saxe Field, as the Mavericks came up short against the 11th ranked team in the country, losing to the Texas Longhorns by the final score of 4-3.
 
Hits were hard to come by for both teams for the majority of the game as either team only had one hit through the first four innings.
 
Laura Henriksen got the call to start the game for the Mavericks, pitching a total of 3.1 innings while giving up four free passes and only one hit.
 
The lefty Brooke Bolinger started for the Longhorns and pitched 4.2 innings of the game before first year head coach Mike Thomas brought Bolinger back into the game in the seventh inning. Bolinger recorded two more outs before finishing the game with 5.1 innings pitched, allowing only two hits and two runs (one earned), while striking out three Maverick batters.
 
Following a leadoff walk to the first batter Henriksen faced in the second inning, Melanie Mendoza couldn't corral a hard-hit ball toward second base, allowing the Longhorns to come around to score the first run of the ballgame.
 
In the top of the third inning, Whitney Walton stepped to the plate with base runners on second and third and laced a hard-hit ground ball toward second base. Longhorn Janae Jefferson fielded the grounder, but after checking both runners to keep them from advancing, Jefferson committed an error of her own, throwing the ball wide of first base, surrendering two runs and UT Arlington's first lead of the game at 2-1.
 
After consecutive walks allowed by Henriksen in the top of the fourth inning, freshman Allie Gardiner was inserted into the game. After loading the bases with a hit-by-pitch, Gardiner got out of the jam after inducing two fly balls to the outfield.
 
Gardiner excelled again in the fifth inning, getting all three Longhorns out in order. The sixth inning was unlike the last though as Gardiner allowed the first three Texas batters to reach base. With the bases loaded, shortstop Kaitlyn Slack stepped to the plate and delivered a single to left field, scoring two runs and a Longhorn lead of 3-2.
 
Maverick Head Coach Peejay Brun went to the bullpen and inserted sophomore Randi Phillips into the game with no outs recorded. Phillips escaped the inning by allowing only one more Longhorn to cross home plate, sending the Mavericks to the bottom of the sixth inning, trailing 4-2.
 
UT Arlington loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth inning before KJ Murphy stepped to the plate with two outs. Just as Maverick fans were getting to the edge of their seats, Longhorn catcher Mary Iakopo derailed any hope of a comeback. As the pitch came in, Iakopo threw a dart down to third base, picking off her second base runner of the game, and the final out of the inning.
 
The Mavericks would get one last chance in the seventh inning as Murphy stepped back into the batter's box down two runs. With the Maverick bench up and their rally caps on, Murphy hammered a pitch to center field, clearing the outfield fence for her second home run of the season.
 
With two Mavericks on-base and only one out, Bolinger came back into the game and promptly put a stop to the Maverick rally, getting the final two batters to pop up and fly out to end the ballgame.

BARK IN THE PARK…ALL SEASON LONG
UT Arlington Department of Athletics officials announced that all 2019 home baseball games at Clay Gould Ballpark and softball games at Allan Saxe Field will be dog-friendly, thanks to a generous partnership with upstart Lone Star Friends of Animals to create 'Casey's Corner.'
 
Dogs which are leashed, at least six months old and with the proper vaccinations will be permitted at all UTA baseball and softball games throughout the season.
 
Casey's Corner is a grassy area between the baseball and softball fields, along the 3rd-base line of the baseball stadium. Multiple pet waste stations have been set up, and the space provides fans and dog owners an opportunity to walk and sit with their canine companions while taking in all the Maverick action.

TICKET INFORMATION
Individual and season tickets are now on sale for the 2019 UT Arlington softball season. 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.