MOBILE, Ala. – The UT Arlington baseball team (6-11, 0-1 SBC) lost their Sun Belt Conference opener on Friday night, falling to South Alabama 12-2 at Stanky Field.
 
Michael Wong (L, 1-2) allowed six runs off 5.0 innings. Matt Novis (1.0 IP), Trevor Pruitt (1.0 IP), Jarod Seals (0.0 IP) and Hunter Marshall (1.0 IP) allowed six combined runs in relief. UTA's five game streak of at least ten strikeouts ended as the Mavs issued just one strikeout on the night.
 
The Mavericks finished with five hits on the night, coming off the bats of Tyler Rice, Oscar Ponce, Steven Saunders, Wilson Galvan and Matt Cavanagh. Ponce and Cavanagh came away with the two runs batted in.
 
The Jaguars struck first, using a double and a walk to put two runners on before Charles Middleton connected on a home run to left field to score three runs.
 
South Alabama plated another in the second inning, using a lead off walk to put a runner on before driving the runner in with a ground ball up the middle of the Maverick defense.
 
The first two batters reached base for the Mavericks in the 6^th inning, giving Oscar Ponce runners at first and second to knock in one run with an RBI single. With runners still on first and second, Matt Cavanagh delivered a line drive to right field to drive in one run and cut the Jaguar lead to two runs.
 
South Alabama used a two-out rally in the sixth inning to plate three runs. A wild pitch with runners on second and third scored the first run, before a line-drive single to center field score two more runs for the Jaguars.
 
Patience at the plate was the key to a five-run eighth inning for the Jaguars, using five walks and two hits to take the 12-2 lead over the Mavericks.
 
UTA will look to even the series tomorrow night (Saturday, March 19) at 6:30 p.m. at Stanky Field.
 
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