ARLINGTON, Texas – UALR baseball (14-26, 10-11) took a double-digit loss to UT Arlington (18-26, 9-13) by a score of 12-0 on Friday night at Clay Gould Ballpark.
UT Arlington got things going in the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run by Travis Sibley to left field with one out to take an early 1-0 lead.
The Mavericks stretched their lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the second inning. Eric Tate singled to left with one out and proceeded to steal second. UTA performed the double steal after Brady Cox walked, putting runners on second and third. Tate made his way across the plate after Jarrid Garcia threw a wild pitch. After RJ Williams struck out, Matt McLean walked to put runners on the corners with two outs. Sibley singled to shallow right field as Cox scored for the Mavs' third run.
UTA kept the runs coming in the bottom of the third inning. Cody Farrell walked to begin the bottom frame and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. After Tate walked, Cox doubled to right center to bring around Farrell and Tate and give the Mavericks a 5-0 lead.
After giving up his seventh hit of the game to begin the bottom of the fifth inning, Garcia was relieved by senior Stephen Chandler. UT Arlington managed to hang three more runs on the board to take an 8-0 lead. The Mavericks managed to hit six consecutive singles before striking out and lining out.
"Garcia was up in the zone tonight, and they hit it," head coach Chris Curry said. "He got behind in the count, and they hammered the ball like good Division I hitters do."
UTA continued the assault with a two-RBI triple in the bottom of the seventh inning by McLean. Junior Brent Mason came on to relieve Chandler with one out in the inning after hitting Sibley with a pitch. A sacrifice-fly to left field plated McLean from third before a single to center scored Sibley for the Mavs' 12th run of the game.
"Anytime you give up 12 runs, 18 hits and get shut out, that's a poor job all the way around," said Curry. "I just told the team we have to flush it. We don't have time to feel sorry for ourselves and overanalyze."
Although the Trojans put nine hits on the board, UALR was held scoreless and left 10 runners on base.
"The offensive tone was set for us in the second inning when we led off with a double, a hit by pitch and we didn't get the bunt down," Curry said. "We got a single by Martin, and then tapped out to the mound with the bases loaded. That was the turning point offensively in the game."
Kyle Kirk and Hayden Martin both went 2 for 4 and were the only Trojans with multiple hits. Kirk now has 14 multiple hit games this season.
"I thought Hayden Martin played as hard as anyone tonight," Curry said. "I loved his effort. He hasn't been in the lineup, and he has waited his turn. He got the opportunity, and he really, really got my attention tonight."
Now in seventh place after tonight's game with only eight conference games left, wins are becoming an increasing necessity for the Trojans' Sun Belt Conference Tournament hopes.
"We don't have time to overanalyze as a team," Curry said. "We have a day game tomorrow, and we have to get out of bed and completely flush this one from our memory."
UALR will look to even the series against UT Arlington on Saturday at 2 p.m.
