ARLINGTON, Texas - The University of Texas at Arlington baseball team (4-6) tossed a combined complete-game shutout for a 1-0 win over the Northwestern State Demons (3-8) on Sunday at Clay Gould Ballpark.
 
In his first collegiate start, freshman Gray Bailey (W, 2-0) worked 5.0 innings with four strikeouts and one walk on three hits. Tanner King (SV, 1) spun a four-inning save, the fifth of his career and first of the 2022 campaign, with three strikeouts and no walks.
 
After an efficient top of the first, UTA threatened by collecting three walks in the bottom half of the inning but were unable to push any of the runners across the plate.
 
The Mavericks flashed the leather with David VanVooren and Nick Pierce hauling in highlight reel plays in the second and fourth innings, respectively.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, the Mavs opened the inning with a Tyler Rice walk and subsequent sacrifice bunt pushing the starting second baseman into scoring position. Nick Pierce then singled to right field to place runners at the corners with two outs. UTA collected the first and only run of the day when Justin Marino connected with a sharp grounder to Northwestern State first baseman giving his team the 1-0 advantage.
 
In the top of the sixth, the Demons threatened the slim margin with a lead-off single and walk to chase Bailey from the mound. With the top of the order looming, King emerged from the bullpen collecting the first out on a sacrifice bunt, putting both remaining runners in scoring position. A savvy throw to home from Boone Montgomery saved the Mavericks from relinquishing the lead. Despite hitting the next batter which loaded the bases, King escaped the inning unscathed. 
 
"It was nice to have a couple of relief appearances before but I've been a starter my whole life so it was nice to feel comfortable and get out there with what I've usually been doing," starter Gray Bailey said. "It was cool to see Tanner come in right where I left off."
 
The visitors made a final attempt in the ninth with a first-pitch leadoff single but King kept his cool getting the next batter on a swinging strikeout followed on the next pitch with a 6-4-3 game-ending double play.
 
"Gray Bailey was outstanding and so was Tanner King," head coach Darin Thomas said. "That's a long save but King is capable of one batter or four innings and that's why he's in that role."
 
UTA will return to Clay Gould Ballpark on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. for the opener of a two-game set against the Army Black Knights.

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