STEPHENVILLE, Texas – The UT Arlington Mavericks (6-7, 1-0 WAC) defeated the Tarleton Texans (10-4, 0-1 WAC) by a final score of 5-2 to open conference play at the Tarleton Baseball Complex on Friday.

The Mavs handed Tarleton their first loss at home on the season.
 
Gabe Starks (W, 2-0) tossed a gem in his fourth start of the year, setting a new career high in strikeouts with 8 as well as tying a career high 6 innings. Starks did not allow a hit in those 6 innings and issued 3 walks to end his stat line for the night. He moved his ERA down to a 2.81 on the year.
 
The Mavs carried a combined no hitter through 7 innings, until Tarleton second baseman hit a homerun for the first hit and run on the night for the Texans.
 
Connery Peters picked up his team leading fifth save of the year. With the save, that moves Peters into a tie for third nationally and in a tie for first in the WAC.
 
Offensively, the Mavs finished with 7 hits for the game, 4 of those hits were doubles.
 
Cason Gregory led the charge with 2 hits in 4 at bats, both doubles, and driving in 2 runs. Tyler Rice drove in 1 run on a sacrifice fly. 
 
Tyson Pointer finished with 1 hit, a double, his sixth double on the year which leads the Mavs. Pointer also scored 2 runs on the night. Ben Lumsden finished with 1 hit on the night as well. Both Pointer and Lumsden extended their hitting streak to 13 games. 
 
UP NEXT
UT Arlington will be back in action at Tarleton Baseball Complex on Saturday at 3 p.m. to take on the Texans in game two of the series.
 
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