Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 ST. GEORGE, Utah – With back-to-back double-digit wins, the UT Arlington softball team hit the ground running Friday, clinching the series against Southern Utah in its first day of conference play.
The Mavericks offense showed out after the squad put up a total of 25 runs off 28 hits which was highlighted by timely hitting and five home runs among the lineup.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: vs. Southern Utah (W, 10-3)
Seniors
Reagan Hukill (2-3, 1 RBI) and
Lindsey Franklin (2-3, 3 RBI) tabbed multi-hit games after the pair came away with two hits apiece.
Of UTA's 11 hits of the game,
Sophie Wideman (1-5),
Meagan Smith (1-3, 2 RBI),
Kimber Cortemelia (1-3, 1 RBI),
Morgan Westbrook (1-3),
Marley Neises (1-3),
Zaia Castruita (1-3) and
Jacquelyn Adams (1-1, 2 RBI) all contributed with one hit each.
Hukill, Franklin and Smith were the trio who launched home runs as senior Franklin leads the Mavericks' offense with five on the season.
Sophomore
Jessica Adams tossed her fourth complete game of the year as the righty limited the Thunderbirds' lineup to just one earned run, earning her sixth win overall.
PLAY BY PLAY: vs. Southern Utah (W, 10-3)
- Southern Utah took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning off a UTA error and a sacrifice fly to center field from Sophia Masut.
- The Mavs earned those runs back after putting up a five-run third inning a Franklin launched a two-run bomb to tie things up 2-2. Shortly after, Smith belted her second home run of the season with UTA's second 2-run shot of the game to take a 4-2 lead. Cortemelia would be responsible for the Mavs' fifth run courtesy of an RBI-double.
- The Thunderbirds plated one run across off a squeeze play that made it a 5-3 ball game in the bottom of the fourth.
- UTA put up three more runs in the top of the fifth after Adams, Ja. knocked a pinch-hit single up the middle that brought around two more runs for the Mavs. Shortly after, pinch-runner Jadyn Erickson stole home that extended UTA's lead, 8-3.
- Hukill collected her second home run of the season with a solo shot to put UTA up 9-3 in the top of the sixth.
- After Adams, Je. kept the Thunderbirds off the board in the bottom of the sixth, Franklin put up her second bomb of the day to give the Mavericks a 10-3 in the top of the seventh.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: vs. Southern Utah (W, 15-10)
Freshman Neises paced UTA's bats in game two against Southern Utah as she went a perfect 5-5 with three RBI– which marks a new career-high for the Texas native.
Castruita (2-3, 1 RBI) and Smith (2-4) also played a key role in the 15-10 win coming away with two hits each.
The Mavericks went on to put up a 15 runs off 17 hits which capped Friday's doubleheader with an impressive total of 28 hits.
Junior
Gracie Bumpurs earned the start for UTA in the circle as she went on throw six innings, allowing nine runs off 10 hits.
With SUU attempting a comeback, Adams was able to come in the seventh inning and get the job done, giving Bumpurs the win.
PLAY BY PLAY: vs. Southern Utah (W, 15-10)
- The Thunderbirds snagged a 3-0 lead in their first at-bats from back-to-back walks and an RBI-single to left field.
- Cortemelia got UTA on the board with one off an RBI-ground out to cut the deficit to two heading into the bottom of the second.
- The fight back continued for the Mavs after Castruita led things off the top of the third with a double in the gap before a sacrifice bunt from Nicole Hill allowed Castruita to advance to third. A sacrifice fly from Wideman brought the Mavericks' second run of the game, making it 3-2.
- UTA tabbed a four-run fourth inning after Neises got things started with a solo bomb that tied things up 3-3. Castruita and Adams, Ja. would be responsible for putting UTA up 6-3 after the pair knocked RBI-singles.
- The Mavs went on to extend their lead to 7-3 in the fifth after an RBI-double from Neises – her third hit of the game.
- In the bottom of the fifth, SUU plated two runs off a single and a fielder's choice to make it a 7-5 ball game.
- The Mavs piled on six runs off four hits and two walks to extend their lead 13-5 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
- SUU put up four runs in the bottom of the sixth off five hits to make it a 13-9 game.
- UTA answered back in the seventh with two runs off an RBI-double and RBI-single from Wideman and Neises that scored runs 14 and 15.
- The Thunderbirds plated their final run in the bottom of the seventh but wasn't enough as the Mavs came away with the 15-10 win.
ON DECK
UTA will wrap up action against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds on Sunday with a 1 p.m. (CST) start from Karl Brooks Field.
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