Pitching too much for TCU
By Mike Davis
The Shorthorn (UTA)

The Texas-Arlington Mavericks baseball team did something it hasn’t done all season.
It hit well and pitched well in the same game. UTA beat TCU, 5-3, Tuesday at Allan Saxe Stadium, for its fourth win of the season.

“The pitcher threw strikes, our hitters came through in some situations that were needed to and we played pretty good defense,” UTA coach Jeff Curtis said. “We played a good game overall from all aspects.”

Special to the Skiff TCU senior infielder Levi Robinson attempts to tag out UTA’s Matt Lindenmeyer on a steal at second in the bottom of the fourth inning. Lindenmeyer was left on second at the end of the inning.

UTA sophomore third baseman Darrell Preston said that Tuesday was the first day the Mavericks played as a team.

Curtis said that at times, they didn’t move runners over, but they accomplished other feats.

Some accomplishments include a triple from junior first baseman Matt Lindenmeyer with a runner on first and a solo home run from Preston — both firsts this season.

The first three innings were rough for freshman starter Mark Lowe, who was pulled in the top of the third after pitching two complete innings. In those innings, he gave up five hits and two earned runs. In the first three innings, TCU leadoff hitters got hits against Lowe.
The Horned Frogs were able to take a 3-2 lead when junior second baseman Will Lewis reached third base and scored on Lowe’s back-to-back balks.

Mavericks pitcher Mike Snapp came in the third inning for Lowe and went on to retire the next 10 batters.

The Mavericks hitters were able to take a lead with three runs in the fourth through sixth innings while Snapp didn't give up a run in that time period. The biggest UTA hit came by Preston in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, he lined a game-winning solo home run to right field for a 4-3 lead.

“I figured it was a fastball,” Preston said. “I guessed right and I was able to get on it.”

In the sixth-inning, UTA added another run when Mavericks senior outfielder Jason Severson brought in Bozarth to go up 5-3.

TCU started putting pressure on the Mavs, but sophomore pitcher Charlie Coffey was able to come in and close the door on them.

In the seventh inning with one out and runners on first and second, Coffey came in to get the next two outs. Then again in the eighth inning with two outs and a runner on second and third, he got TCU junior catcher Justin Hatcher to strike out looking.

UTA Sophomore pitcher Chris Minissale came in the ninth to get the save with the tying runner on first and two outs.

TCU will look to get back on track this weekend at the Southwest Texas Challenge at Dell Diamond in Round Rock. The Frogs face Southwest Texas on Friday and Sunday and will battle Texas Tech Saturday.

credits

TCU Daily Skiff © 2002