Senior first baseman Dee McClarity, left, junior catcher Mia McNulty and freshman middle infielder Taylor Minor hug during a game against Southern Utah University on April 25 at Allan Saxe Field. McNulty hit a two-run walk-off home run.
UTA softball (24-21) beat Southern Utah University (19-26) 8-7 with a walk-off home run to overcome a 7-0 deficit in the final game of the regular season Saturday at Allan Saxe Field.
Resiliency has been a core foundation of this team. Since dropping a series versus California Baptist University earlier this month, which dropped them to 18-21, the Mavericks have won their last two series and are 8-2 in their last 10 games. With the Western Athletic Conference tournament starting May 6, the team is getting hot at the right time.
“They’re never too high. They don’t ride the lows,” head coach Kara Dill said. “They just keep winning as many pitches as possible.”
Senior center fielder Marley Neises catches the ball during a game against Southern Utah University on April 25 at Allan Saxe Field. Neises was at bat three times.
Southern Utah started the game with three singles to load the bases with no outs in the top of the first inning. UTA managed to get out of the jam, only allowing one run on a hit by pitch.
Sophomore pitcher Kynlee Bowlin took the mound in the second inning, looking to keep it a one-run game, but was pulled in the fourth inning after giving up five runs over two innings. Southern Utah took a 7-0 lead; meanwhile, UTA was still searching for its first hit of the game.
Senior first baseman Dee McClarity singled in the bottom of the fourth to get UTA its first hit of the game, opening up the offensive floodgates.
Junior shortstop Peyton Holland stepped up to the plate. Holland entered the game leading the WAC in home runs with 13 — only one home run away from tying Dee Jay Nelson’s single-season home run record. With one swing, Holland cut the lead to four and cemented her name in UTA history.
Senior first baseman Dee McClarity tags out Taralyn Ollison, Southern Utah University junior left fielder, during a game April 25 at Allan Saxe Field. McClarity was at bat twice and had one hit.
“It’s just super cool to come into a program and be able to make it better,” she said. “Being here is such a honor, and it’s really a blessing, because it’s never something that I expected to do.”
Sophomore pitcher Maddie Furniss took over the bump at the top of the fifth inning, down 7-3, and proceeded to shut down Utah’s offense, giving her team a fighting chance. She pitched the last three innings of the game, allowing only one hit and no runs.
Sophomore utility player Talia Maldonado and junior utility player Kaitlyn Sailor rewarded Furniss’s efforts by hitting a pair of home runs to cut the lead to one run.
Advertising senior Louis Povao tosses a T-shirt to Hillsboro, Texas, resident Robin Merkel during a softball game against Southern Utah University on April 25 at Allan Saxe Field. Povao is a marketing intern for the softball team.
Down one run in the seventh inning, the final game of the season came down to the final inning. Freshman left fielder Kaylee Schweitzer hit first and flew out to left field. One out.
Junior pinch hitter Vanessa Soza followed with the same result: a flyout to left field. Two outs.
The chance of a comeback seemed bleak. The once hopeful and energetic crowd grew quiet, but a walk from freshman designated player Valeria Feeney brought up junior catcher Mia McNulty to bat, and the game-winning run was at the plate.
McNulty is no stranger to power. She is one of two players on the team with double-digit home runs this season. As McNulty stepped up to the plate, she was greeted with chants of “Mia.” Fans and players knew one swing could change the game.
Sophomore pitcher Kynlee Bowlin pitches the ball during a game against Southern Utah University on April 25 at Allan Saxe Field. UTA won 8-7.
McNulty loaded her back foot, swung the bat and sent a towering ball over the left field foul pole. For a second, you could hear a pin drop. People froze, unsure if it was fair.
When the umpire signaled home run, Allan Saxe Field exploded in celebration. As McNulty rounded third base, she pumped her fist in excitement. Her teammates met her at home, and they celebrated a win at Allan Saxe Field for the final time this season.
“It’s so much fun. Just to be embraced by them and have that feeling of ‘we did it, we’re here, now it’s time to go get that championship,’” McNulty said. “We’re so ready, and we’ve worked so hard for it.”
Sophomore pitcher Kynlee Bowlin, left, and senior first baseman Dee McClarity high-five during a game against Southern Utah University on April 25 at Allan Saxe Field. Bowlin gave up four hits.
UTA softball finished the regular season with a 24-21 record, 12-6 in WAC play. The team will have a week off before traveling to Stephenville, Texas, for the WAC tournament. Seeding and opponents have not been determined, as other conference teams still have games left.
Dill said the girls will have a couple of days off before they hit the ground running in hopes of coming back to Arlington as WAC champions.
“A lot of times, teams will get tired as the end of the year comes, and they’ve managed their bodies, they’ve managed their minds really, really well,” Dill said. “They’re in a great spot to go out and be able to compete every pitch. They’re still powerful, they’re still fast, they’re still mentally locked in.”
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