ARLINGTON, Texas – Bats continued to stay hot for the UT Arlington softball team Friday night, using 11 hits to outscore the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 12-7 in a series clinching win.
 
Nine of the Mavericks 12 runs came in fifth in sixth inning, as UTA overcame a 7-3 deficit to complete the comeback. Reagan Wright hit her fifth home run of the season in the sixth inning, and KJ Murphy followed with a solo shot.
 
JoJo Valencia got the start, allowing two runs off two hits in 3.2 innings.  Laura Henriksen came in for relief, but lasted only two outs, allowing five runs off four hits.  Allie Gardiner (4-5) finished the game, pitching 2.2 shut-out innings as the Mavs completed the rally to win.
 
Aileen Garcia put the Mavs on top in the first inning, singling down the left field line to score Whitney Walton.  Two batters later, Murphy doubled to the center field wall to score two more runs and put UTA up 3-0.
 
Neither team could get on the board in the second or third innings, but the Chanticleers bats came alive in the fourth.  After the leadoff batter was hit by a pitch, the Sun Belt leaders in home runs took advantage, hitting a two-run shot to cut the lead to one run.
 
Coastal followed up the two-run inning with an explosive five-run inning in the fifth.  A bases loaded single tied the game at three before a grand slam with the next at bat opened up a 7-3 lead for the Chants.
 
The Mavericks responded quickly, putting up five runs of their own in the fifth inning to retake a one-run lead. UTA loaded the bases before Brittany Wyllie hit a single down the right field line to score the first two runs.  KJ Murphy loaded the bases again with a walk, before Avery Grimes was hit with a pitch to drive in another run. With the bases still loaded, Melanie Mendoza and Walton got back-to-back hits to score two more and take the 8-7 lead.
 
UTA picked up some insurance runs in the sixth inning, coming in the form of two home runs.  Wright hit the first, a three-run shot to left field, before Murphy followed with a solo shot to left center to make the game 12-7.
 
Gardiner put the Chants down in order in the seventh inning to pick up the win.
 
UP NEXT
The Mavericks will finish the series against Coastal Carolina tomorrow (April 20) at noon at Allan Saxe Field.