HOUSTON – HBU erupted for six runs in the second inning, then the bullpen held off UT Arlington for a 7-4 victory in non-conference baseball Tuesday afternoon at Husky Field.
Junior rightfielder
Thomas Clay went 3-for-3 with a run and his team-leading 10
th stolen base of the season for the Huskies (15-14). Senior shortstop
CJ Jarvis went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run to extend his hitting streak to eight games, and junior third baseman
Curtis Jones also went 2-for-5 with a double. Senior leftfielder
Jordan McCoy singled to extend his hitting streak to seven games and drove in a pair of runs, while junior second baseman
Clayton Vaughn also singled, drove in two runs and scored.
Junior righthander
Ross Kennell (1-3) picked up the win for HBU, pitching two innings of scoreless and hitless relief, striking out one and walking two. Sophomore
Dylan Zarosky notched his second save of the season by pitching a perfect ninth, which included two punchouts looking. Sophomore lefthanded starter
Matthew McCollough received a no-decision, allowing three runs on five hits in three innings.
Derek Miller went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored, while Travis Sibley went 2-for-3 with and RBI and a run for UTA (14-19). Brady Cox doubled, drove in two and scored for the Mavericks.
UTA starter Justin Schnedler struck out the side in the first but couldn't get out of the second, as he gave up six runs on six hits in 1.1 innings. Five other Mavericks pitchers held the Huskies to one run on five hits over the final 6.2 innings.
In the second, junior centerfielder
Zach Nehrir and senior first baseman
Mike Chamberlain drew back-to-back one-out walks, then Clay singled to center to load the bases. Vaughn dragged a bunt to second to drive in the game's first run, but the throw was wide and also allowed Chamberlain to come home to make it 2-0. After Vaughn stole second, Jarvis and junior designated hitter
Josh Martinez followed with RBI singles to put the Huskies ahead, 4-0. Jones singled to left to once again load the bases, then McCoy delivered a two-run single to left after a 12-pitch at-bat, during which he fouled off seven-straight pitches.
UTA answered with three runs in the top of the third. Sibley led off with a single to left, then back-to-back doubles by Miller and Cox plated a pair of runs. Ryan Bottger's RBI single made the score 6-3.
The Mavericks got to within two after Sibley's RBI single in the sixth cut the Huskies' lead to 6-4, but HBU got the run back in the bottom of the seventh when Nehrir led off with a single to center, stole second, went to third on a single by Clay, then scored on a squeeze bunt by Vaughn.
The Huskies return action when they host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in a three-game Southland Conference series this weekend at Husky Field. Friday's game is scheduled for 2 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m., and the finale Sunday at 2 p.m.
