THE RUNDOWN
DBU won for the fourth straight time with a 6-2 win over UT Arlington on Tuesday night at Globe Life Field in Arlington.  Trailing 2-0 through the first four innings, a four-run fifth for the Patriots propelled DBU (13-7) to their first four-game win streak of the season.  Peyton Sherlin earned his first win of the year and was one of six Patriot relievers who combined to surrender just one run over 8.1 innings of work.

UTA (6-14) struck for a run in the bottom of the first on an Oscar Ponce RBI single.  Zach Heaton would come out of the pen to inherit a bases loaded jam with two outs and induced a groundball out to get out of the jam. 

The Mavericks added to their lead in the third when Steven Saunders launched a pitch to right-center field and over the leaping attempt of Patriot centerfield Nate Humphreys. As the ball caromed back into centerfield, Saunders sprinted around the bases to leg out an inside the park home run.
 
Down 2-0 into the fifth inning, DBU was finally able to get to UTA starter Cade Winquest after the junior right-hander had silenced the Patriot offense through the first four frames.   A lead-off walk by Miguel Santos started the Patriot rally.  After Luke Heefner singled on the first pitch he saw, sending Santos to third, Nate Humphreys reached on a throwing error by Boone Montgomery at third base, allowing Santos to score. 

With runners at first and second, a Winquest wild pitch advanced runners to second and third.  Jace Grady then laced a single to right field to tie the game at two apiece.  Grady then stole second and Humphreys came home to score the go-ahead run when the throw to second sailed into center. 
 
DBU completed their scoring in the fifth on a two-out single by Andrew Benefield off of reliever Gray Bailey that brought in Grady from third.
 
After two shutout innings from Peyton Sherlin in the fourth and fifth innings, Sherlin exited in the sixth with one out and one on.  Following a double from Cason Gregory that put runners at second and third, Zane Russell struck out Boon Montgomery to leave the tying run stranded at second.
 
The Patriots would tack on two more insurance runs in the seventh as Benefield delivered his second RBI of the night on a sacrifice fly that scored Jace Grady and Blayne Jones came home to score on a wild pitch.
 
In the Mavericks' ninth, Alec Baker came on to work a scoreless inning and preserve a four-run win.
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- In the 80th all-time meeting between DBU and UTA in a series that dates back to 1969, the Patriots now own a 44-36 advantage in the series.
- DBU's pitching staff allowed just one earned run and lowered their Missouri Valley Conference best ERA to 3.70.
- DBU handed UTA their first loss of the season when leading after the third inning. Prior to tonight, UTA was 4-0 when leading after three innings.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
197 - Blayne Jones made his 197th career start tying him with Justin Wall (2013-2016) for the sixth-most starts in DBU's Division I era.
7 - Seven Patriots in the starting lineup had hits tonight.
9 - Jace Grady stole his team-leading ninth base of the year.


 
UP NEXT
DBU opens a three-game series against No. 20 Maryland on Friday night at Horner Ballpark.  First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
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