NISC Championship Round
Wednesday, May 23
Game 1 - Loyola Marymount 10, UTA 5
LOS ANGELES – Despite a hot start from UTA in a three-run first, it was Loyola Marymount that used its offense to power to a 10-5 win in the NISC Championship Round opener on Wednesday.
The Mavericks saw the end of their three-game postseason winning streak, falling to 30-27 for the season. UTA will move into the loser's bracket of the final-four tournament, playing an elimination game at 12 p.m. on Thursday against the loser of UC Riverside and Eastern Kentucky. The Lions (32-24-1) knocked 11 hits on the way to their double-digit run total, advancing into the winner's finale, also on Thursday.
UTA picked up a multi-hit performance by leadoff hitter Sandra Mendoza as the senior moved just two base hits shy of moving once again into the single-season top-10 for hits. Whitney Walton and Reagan Wright each knocked in a pair of runs, Walton's coming on a double. The Mavs sent all three pitchers to the circle. Starter JoJo Valencia went just a third of an inning, being knocked for all five runs scored by the Lions in the first. Randi Phillips seemed to tame the attack in 5.1 pitched, however, she'd give up a pair in the third and three in the sixth to be knocked with the loss. Alyssa Chavez, entering for the first time since April 22, pitched a hitless final third, striking out one.
The Mavs seemed to pick up right where they left off from last week's regional competition. Mendoza opened the game with a single to center and the offense didn't look back. Aileen Garcia blooped a single into right to bring in a run. Wright followed it up with a hit into right center to bring in two, but the Mavs left two on base.
LMU came right back in the bottom half, putting its first four hitters on base with a fielder's choice being the only out. A one-out single was followed up by a grand slam as the Lions jumped into a 5-3 lead after an offensive first.
Melanie Mendoza started the second with a single through the middle to force a LMU pitching change. Sandra greeted her with a bunt single to put each on the corner. Walton came up to bring in both on her double over the center fielder's head to tie the game at five apiece.
Thursday, May 24
Game 2 - Eastern Kentucky 8, UTA 6
LOS ANGELES – Eastern Kentucky knocked a tournament-record five home runs on the way to topping UTA 8-6 on Thursday afternoon in the NISC Championship Round elimination game. The Mavericks end their season with a 30-28 record and for a second consecutive year in the postseason.
Seven of the eight EKU runs came by the way of the long ball, while UTA had its opportunity in the final frame, stranding the tying run on base with a long fly out to center. The 30 wins accumulated mark the first time since the 2006 and 2007 seasons that the Mavs finished with more than 30 wins in back-to-back seasons.
An offensive battle saw the teams combined for 20 hits, UTA knocking nine. Bri Burchianti and Whitney Walton each displayed season highs with three, Walton crossing the dish on three occasions. After Randi Phillips departed the game, Alyssa Chavez came in for the performance of the season for the senior to keep the Mavs in the contest. Chavez struck out four in 4.1 frames pitched, allowing just two earned runs and walking one.
Senior Sandra Mendoza closed out her UTA career with a 1-for-4 day at the dish, scoring a run. Mendoza closes her historic career with 251 hits, only the third player in program with 250 or more, 154 runs, second in UTA history, 43 doubles (second), and a batting average that is sixth all-time. Scoring on Thursday for the second time in the tournament, her 38 runs scored in 2018 are tied for fourth in single-season history. Mendoza joined Walton on the NISC All-Tournament team.
A wild first frame saw each team send two across. Eastern Kentucky opened scoring in the top half with a two-out homer to left, while the Mavs took advantage of a wild pitch and error to bring a pair in. It was the long ball that hurt again in the fourth to score four. EKU hit back-to-back home runs to start the frame, and would knock another two-run shot to lead 6-2. UTA showed intentions of not going away with a three run third that was started by Mendoza's single up the middle. Rude followed it up with a sacrifice bunt that resulted in a single and throwing error to push both into scoring position.
Another wild pitch brought in Rude, following by Walton's single into left to score rude. With the bases loaded, Brittany Wyllie grounded out to a fielder's choice to bring in another UTA run and trim the deficit down to just one.
A solo shot again in the fourth and a hit through the infield in the seventh added insurance for the Colonels. UTA threatened in the seventh as the winning run came to the plate, but the long fly out to center ended the contest and eliminated the Mavericks.