UT Arlington baseball takes early lead, wins series opener
Noah Vaughan hit his first career home run and Joel Kuhnel gave up just two runs in 6 2/3 innings, helping UT Arlington to a 6-2 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Friday night.
The Mavericks (6-4) had 10 hits, the fifth time in their past six games they have reached double-digit hits.
I had a really strong defense behind me. They came out hitting the ball and we came out with a lot of energy.
UTA pitcher Joel Kuhnel
Kuhnel, meanwhile, allowed six hits and struck out five.
“I had a really strong defense behind me,” Kuhnel said. “They came out hitting the ball and we came out with a lot of energy. My biggest thing with runners on base is that I know my defense is playing strong behind me. I can throw the ball and let them hit it and know that my defense is working.”
It was a changeup that he kept throwing me. I kept missing and then I made a slight adjustment and got lucky and hit it out. If it stayed fair, I knew it was gone.
UTA’s Noah Vaughn on his two-run home run
UTA scored two runs in the first inning and added two more in the third when Vaughan connected on a two-out, two-run homer inside the right-field foul pole.
“It was a changeup that he kept throwing me,” Vaughan said. “I kept missing and then I made a slight adjustment and got lucky and hit it out. If it stayed fair, I knew it was gone.”
That was all Kuhnel needed as he exited the seventh inning with a 5-2 lead.
This story was originally published March 4, 2016 at 10:40 PM with the headline "UT Arlington baseball takes early lead, wins series opener."