OREM, Utah – The Utah Valley University softball team dropped a pair of games on Saturday at the Texas Tech Invitational as it fell 13-4 to UT Arlington and 8-5 to Texas Tech. The Wolverines will conclude the weekend tournament on Sunday morning versus UT Martin.
 
"We didn't take care of some of the little things we needed to," head coach Nikki Palmer said. "It was nice to see the bats come alive so well in game two and the girls really worked hard together. In the end we just didn't come up with the wins. I am looking forward to Sunday and closing out the weekend with a win."
 
In the first game of the day, the Mavericks (14-9) used an eight-run sixth-inning rally to put the game away. The two teams entered the sixth with UTA holding a mere one run advantage, at 5-4, but five walks aided the eight-run frame for the Mavs.
 
Prior to the sixth, UVU (8-13) scored all four of its runs in last of fifth inning to make it a 5-4 game at the time. Brianna Gatlin delivered the big hit in the frame with a bases clearing double.
 
UTA's Sam Montes (5-5) picked up the win in the circle for the Mavericks as she allowed just two earned runs in the complete-game outing. UVU's Kailey Christensen (1-2) suffered the loss, giving up five runs in 3.2 innings of work.
 
Seven Wolverines registered a hit in the contest for Utah Valley while Sandra Mendoza led UTA by going 3-for-4 from the leadoff spot with four RBIs, two runs scored and a walk.
 
A day removed from defeating the host Red Raiders by a score of 6-5 thanks to a walk-off home run from Jaylen Watson, UVU fell behind early to its Big 12 Conference counterpart in Saturday's nightcap as TTU jumped out to a 7-1 lead after three innings.
 
Utah Valley's offense then got things going in the fourth as it scored four runs to pull within two at 7-5. Erin Romero slugged out a two-run home run in the frame for the Wolverines while Gatlin and Vansway each added RBI hits as well. In all, UVU sent nine hitters to the plate during the rally and all four runs came home with two outs.
 
Texas Tech then tacked on an insurance run in the sixth as the Red Raiders held on the defeat the Wolverines by three runs.
 
Makayla Shadle suffered the loss for UVU to drop to 2-3 on the year while Cara Custer (6-7) was credited with the win in relief for the Red Raiders. 
 
Gatlin and Watson led the Wolverine offense against TTU, as they recorded two hits apiece in the contest. Devon Thomey paced the Red Raiders by going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored.
 
Despite the pair of losses, UVU collected 15 hits on the day and Gatlin combined to go 3-for-6 with four RBIs.
 
Utah Valley will conclude play at the Texas Tech Invite Sunday against UT Martin of the Ohio Valley Conference at 9 a.m. MT/10 a.m. CT. Following Sunday's tournament finale, UVU will head to San Diego, California, for the San Diego Classic II next weekend.