The Slide Continues

The UT Arlington softball team was hoping for a redemption weekend on the road against the University of Southern Utah and they were on pace for it, but for the first time that I have personally witnessed, UTA was just as big an impediment to a win as their opponent.

Going into the series, both teams were 8-10 in the Western Athletic Conference and fighting for positioning in the standings and the upcoming conference tournament. With two series left, it was a pretty big weekend.

In game one, things went about as expected. The Mavericks won 14-5 in an abbreviated five innings. The offense scored in every inning but the fourth, culminated by five in the second inning and six runs in the third. Utility Junior Marley Nieses, Sophomore catcher Mia McNulty and utility Sophomore Kaitlyn Sailor each hit a home run. Sixth-year pitcher Emilie Hoelscher picked up the win.

But the second game, ugh the second game.

I don't make it a habit to criticize student athletes. But sometimes a player just doesn't have it. Freshman pitcher Madi McDonnell may have gotten the loss, but it was a turning point just after the Mavericks offense scored an eight-spot in the fifth inning to take a 12-5 lead. 

Sophomore pitcher Abi Gutierrez started the second game and gave up a three-run homer in the first, a triple that came around to score in the second and after a leadoff single in the third. She was relieved by Freshman Jaycee Knighton after that single. Knighton only allowed a single to keep the Thunderbirds off the scoreboard. Knighton then started the fourth. She gave up a triple that scored on a sac bunt. With one out and the bases empty, UTA went back to Guttierez. In one of the differences between softball and baseball, a pitcher can make multiple appearances in the same game. 

Of the three pitchers with a minimum of one inning pitched per game, Gutierrez is third on the team in Earned Run Average, now at 5.55 for the year. Of the seven pitchers who have recorded an out this year, she is fifth in ERA. Some games she is on the money and some she is not. Game two she was not and I didn't understand why UTA went back to her.

Sadly, my fears were not unfounded.

To close the fourth innings, she gave up a double, single, a stolen base, a fielder's choice where the runner on third was thrown out at home and a foul out to close the inning. UTA left the fourth trailing by one, 4-5.

UTA opened the fifth inning with a homer by McNulty, then hit four singles, was hit by a pitch, saw a passed ball and Sailor hit a bases-clearing double with the bases full to grab that 12-5 lead. The game was the Mavericks to lose at that point.

After a double, a single, a stolen base and a walk in the home half, I was thinking Head Coach Kara Dill was going to relieve Guttierez at that point. After each batter, I knew a change was imminent. To her credit, Guttierez got two fly outs, both sac flies to follow, but that was it for her in the out category. Following the last fly out, Southern Utah tallied a RBI double, another double to put runners at second and third, an error that scored a run and a hit by pitch that loaded the bases followed. 

I was talking to the TV to do a pitching change many times at this point. With the Thunderbirds trailing by four, the cynicist in me in me knew what was coming. Sometimes, I'm wrong in those moments. But in this specific case, Southern Utah hit a grand slam to take lead. 

UTA got nothing in the sixth and I suspected it was over. SUU adding three more in their half against McDonnell. However, the Mavericks scored four in the seventh, capped by back-to-back two-out doubles, to tie the game. McDonnell pitched a scoreless seventh to send it to extras. 

In the eighth, the Mavs offense got three for UTA, but a single, a double and another homer in the home half tied the game again.

UTA went down 1-2-3 in the ninth and after a ground out. In the bottom of the ninth, Southern Utah got a single and a double to win it 20-19 in extras.

I'm not going to pretend to be an expert. I've never been a coach or a competitive player. But I don't understand the pitching decisions this weekend. Senior Jessica Adams leads the staff in ERA. After not making an appearance in the first two games, I thought she'd be the starter for the all-important game three. Instead, Hoelscher started and pitched two complete innings.

When Hoelscher left the game, the score was tied 2-2. She didn't leave in trouble, but rather was just relieved to start the third. Knighton came in and gave up five hits, with only one out and three runs scored before Adams came in the circle to pitch. Adams got the remaining two outs without giving up another run. She was able to pitch a scoreless fourth and fifth. With two outs in the sixth and one runner on in a 5-2 game, Adams finally cracked and gave up two singles and a homer. 

UTA scored one in the seventh but the SUU lead was never threatened in a 3-8 UTA loss. 

With the series loss, UTA is now in a tie for sixth with the Seattle Redhawks. Conveniently, the Redhawks come to Arlington. Both teams are half a game up on Utah Valley and cannot be caught by ninth place Utah Tech. The Trailblazers conference season is over and they are two games behind Utah Valley. They can get into the eight-team conference tourney but need help.

At a game behind Southern Utah, UTA will need help to pass them. The Thunderbirds have the UVU Wolverines and UTA will likely be helped either way with the result, passing SUU or staying ahead of Utah Valley. Should UTA get a sweep and UVU wins two of three, UTA would be ahead of both. 

Abilene Christian hosts Conference-leader Grand Canyon and should the typical result occur in that series (GCU has swept six of the seven WAC series to this point), UTA would leapfrog the Wildcats with a series win over Seattle. 

A nearly same scenario exists with California Baptist, who is currently tied with ACU for third in the WAC. The Lancers go to Stephenville for three-games against second-place Tarleton State. However, UTA has to get a Seattle sweep to bypass CBU.

So if UTA sweeps, UVU wins at least two, Grand Canyon sweeps and Tarleton sweeps, UTA would be third in the conference. That's a big if, obviously. If UTA loses the series, they cannot finish higher than seventh, but can move to eighth. They will not finish in ninth. 

If UTA wins the series but doesn't sweep, UVU wins, but doesn't sweep and ACU is swept, UTA would be fourth.

In addition, the tribute to Allan Saxe, originally scheduled for the Saturday game against Grand Canyon, will occur on May 2nd. With a best-case scenario of third, a worst of eighth and a likely case of somewhere in between, UTA will need all the help it can get, especially on the pitching end. Had they won that game two, the Mavs prospects would be so much higher.