The UT Arlington softball team opened its 2020 season with a doubleheader split against in-state foe Texas A&M as the Mavericks dropped the first game in a tight affair before rallying back in the second to win big in College Station, Texas on Friday.
 
The Mavs suffered a 2-0 setback in the first game before getting up early on the Aggies in the second game to prevail with an eventual 7-2 win.
 
Freshman Reagan Hukill and incoming-transfer Kimber Cortemelia paced the Mavs in hits with three a piece, all of which came in the second game. Hukill came up clutch for UTA, racking up 3 RBI while Avery Grimes collected two hits over both games, crossing home plate twice. Reagan Wright reached base three times over the two tilts and grabbed her first stolen base of the season.
 
UTA could only muster four total base-knocks in the first game leaving nine Mavs stranded on-base throughout the contest, but even so, JoJo Valencia was masterful in the circle. The lefty struck out four batters in five innings and along with Kennedy Hines, held Texas A&M to only two hits over six total innings.
 
RC Phillips got the start in the second game and lasted 3.1 innings, giving up 2 runs while allowing only four batters to reach base. She handed the ball over to sophomore Allie Gardiner who took it the distance, striking out four Aggies while giving up just one hit before walking away with the win.
 
Game 1 Recap
The game remained scoreless through four innings as Valencia allowed only two batters to reach base. She retired the side in order through the first four frames with the help of a turned double play up the middle in the second inning and Wright throwing out an Aggie attempting to steal second base in the fourth.
 
The Mavs had a runner on base in every inning through the first four frames, including having the bases loaded in the third, but A&M's top pitcher Makinzy Hurzog continued to get out of tough jams.
 
After recording the first two outs in the fifth inning, Valencia gave up a double to the warning track. The very next batter hit a towering shot over the right field wall, squeaking its way inside the foul pole and just over the fence.
 
The Mavs would threaten to score one last time in the top of the seventh, getting two runners on base with a Whitney Walton double to right center and a Brittany Wyllie hit-by-pitch. But once again, Herzog got herself out of the jam and the Aggies took game one of the doubleheader 2-0.
 
Game 2
Hukill stepped to the plate in the top of second inning with the bases loaded and the freshman did not disappoint. She laced a line drive up the middle, ricocheting off the pitcher's glove into right field to score the Mavs' first two runs of the season. Hukill and Grimes would come around later to score two more runs in the frame after the Aggie's first baseman muffed a throw from the hot corner.
 
After the Aggies tacked on a run in the bottom of the frame with a home run off the bat of Meagan Smith, Madison Miller got on base with a one-out walk before Grimes singled down the line. Hukill stepped to the dish and delivered once more with a double to left field, plating one run before Grimes came around to score on a fielding error committed by the catcher, increasing the Mav lead to five at 6-1.
 
The Aggies followed up UTA's big inning with another home run in the bottom of the frame, this time off the bat of Makinzy Herzog to make the score 6-2 going into the fourth inning.
 
Cortemelia led off the top of the fourth inning with a perfectly placed bunt, allowing her to reach base with a single. After Wright put down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runner to second, KJ Murphy stepped to the plate and ripped a pitch to left field. Cortemelia came around to score to put the Mavs up 7-2, a score that remained unchanged the remainder of the ballgame.
 
Texas A&M won the battle of the long ball, but they recorded only two more hits the rest of the game as Gardiner shut the Aggies down in relief.
 
UTA returns to action on Saturday with a pair of afternoon games, the first coming against Texas A&M at 2:15 p.m. while the second starts at 4:00 p.m. versus Abilene Christian. The weekend tournament will conclude with one final game against Abilene Christian on Sunday beginning at 10:00 a.m.