NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The UT Arlington softball team overcame an error-filled third inning to defeat McNeese State 5-3 in the semifinals of the NISC Nacogdoches Regional on Friday afternoon. The Mavericks advance to play the winner of McNeese and Stephen F. Austin tomorrow (Saturday) at 10 a.m. for the Regional Championship.
"The players did a great job of making sure that those errors weren't the focus of the game," Head Coach
Peejay Brun said. "They decided to start over, start from the bottom and work their way up. They did a good job coming together as a team and bringing the energy back to our side."
Randi Phillips (16-13) picked up the start in the circle, tossing 5.1 innings. Three runs were scored, but all were unearned. She has not allowed an earned run in over 10 innings pitched in the NISC.
Allie Gardiner replaced Phillips in the sixth inning, picking up her sixth save of the season.
UTA finished with seven hits, with
Whitney Walton,
Krista Rude and
Laura Curry each coming away with two hits. Walton and rude scored twice, while Curry drove in two runs.
Reagan Wright drove in one run, breaking the career RBI record for RBI.
Phillips tossed a scoreless first inning to give the Mavs a chance to jump on top first, which they wasted no time doing.
Whitney Walton and
Krista Rude led off the game reaching base before
Laura Curry hit a single up the middle to score them both.
The Maverick defense stumbled in the second inning. A single gave the Cowgirls a baserunner, but back-to-back errors on the UTA defense allowed the runner to reach home and score their first run. A third consecutive error on a bunt pushed the game tying run home. Following a bunt single to load the bases, McNeese used a sac fly to left field to take a 3-2 lead.
After keeping McNeese off the scoreboard in the third, the top of the lineup was due up for the Mavs and they got to work, loading the bases for
Reagan Wright. Wright drilled a ground ball to shortstop, finding its way to the outfield to score two runs. With the RBI, Wright broke the program record for career RBI as she now sits with 118 in her three seasons with the Mavs.
KJ Murphy kept the scoring coming for the Mavericks, reaching on a fielder's choice to shortstop, but in the process driving in one more run to put UTA up 5-3 after three innings.
The game turned into a pitcher's duel after the third inning as neither team could get on the scoreboard. Phillips tossed two scoreless innings before Gardiner kept the Cowgirls off the board during the final two innings.
UP NEXT
The Mavericks will take on the winner of McNeese State and SFA for the NISC Nacogdoches Regional Championship tomorrow at 10 a.m. at the SFA Softball Field.
