|
CARDIAC MAVS STRIKE AGAIN
March 3, 2007
ARLINGTON, Texas - For the second time in the last eight days, the UT Arlington baseball team scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning and defeated New Mexico State 9-8 Saturday afternoon at Clay Gould Ballpark. It is the third ninth-inning comeback this season. Trailing by three heading into the ninth, Mitch Putman singled through the left side and Brock Wilson drew a walk. That looked to be the end of the rally as the next two hitters were retired. Kyle drew a walk to load the bases and David Newby came through with a two-run single to center field and both runners advanced a base on an error by the center fielder. Danny Slinkman walked to reload the bases and David McLeod tied the game with a single into the hole at short. The winning run scored when the shortstop booted the ball off the bat of Daniel Rieder. The Mavs (6-9) got on the board in the first inning as McLeod beat out a single off the pitcher's glove and advanced to second when a failed sacrifice bunt was caught, but the attempted throw to first sailed. A flyout advanced the runner to third before a single through the right side by Ben Burum plated a run. The Aggies (7-9) responded in the second inning as Tyler Hardt singled through the right side and scored on Marcus Quade's second home run of the season to left field. UTA tied the game in the second as Rudy started the inning with a double before two-out walks to McLeod and Rieder loaded the bases. Putman plated a run when he drew the third straight walk of the inning. A costly Aggies error in the fourth led to three unearned runs. McLeod started the rally with a bloop double to center and went to third on a single to left center by Rieder. With two outs, Matthew Otteman's popup on the infield caught chalk when it was dropped by the first baseman to score a run. Burum delivered the big blow when he plated two runners with a double down the right-field line.
NMSU got a pair of runs in the fifth as Quade singled and went to second on a passed ball. Kyle McFadden singled through the left side and a bobble in left field allowed the runner to score. After a stolen base and a flyout, Richard Stout drove in a run with a single to left field. The Aggies took the lead in the seventh as Stout and Leo Aguirre delivered RBI singles and a third run scored on a wild pitch. NMSU added what they thought was an insurance run on another Aguirre RBI single. Nathan Long (1-2) picked up the victory after allowing two runs on four hits in 2.2 innings. Sebestien Vendette (1-1) took the loss after giving up two runs, one earned, on two hits in two-thirds of an inning. McLeod paced the offense with four hits and Burum and Rudy each collected two. Burum and Newby combined to drive in five. |
