UT Arlington Shuts Out Texas State
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ARLINGTON, Texas – Senior catcher Greg McCall starred at the plate for the second consecutive game, driving in the lone run in UT Arlington’s 1-0 win Friday night over Texas State at Clay Gould Ballpark.
The Mavericks (29-25) have won six in row and have taken sole possession of second place in the Sun Belt Conference at 18-11. UTA has clinched no worse than the third seed for next week’s Sun Belt Championship regardless of what happens Saturday.
The three-game series with Texas State (28-25, 16-13) ends Saturday with UT Arlington’s Senior Day. Eleven seniors will be honored before the 2 p.m. first pitch.
The Mavericks broke a scoreless tie with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. Ryan Bottger singled with one out and advanced on John Michael Twichell’s two-out walk. McCall, who homered twice and drove in seven runs in Thursday’s 11-7 win, followed with a single through the right side to score Bottger easily.
“Tonight it took one, and we got out of a jam there in the top of the eighth and managed to get one,” UT Arlington coach Darin Thomas said. “It was a good ballgame.”
Senior reliever Chase Weaver finished off the staff’s first shutout of the season with the win, working the final 1.2 innings to improve to 4-2. UTA starter Zach Thompson went seven scoreless innings in his final outing of the regular season.
The Bobcats threatened in the eighth, loading the bases with one
out against Weaver. Cody Lovejoy lofted a pop fly to shallow center, and center fielder Derek Miller fired a bullet to McCall to get Tyler Pearson at the plate and end the inning.
“Without that throw he scores and it’s a whole different ballgame,” McCall said. “That took all the momentum back and from there on it felt like we had it.”
A night after 18 runs were scored, Thompson and Texas State starter Taylor Black were locked in a pitchers’ duel. Black went six scoreless innings and Thompson went seven before the respective coaches turned to the bullpen.
Matt Shortall doubled in the fourth to set new single-season UTA record with 24, breaking a tie with Andrew Kainer.
