UTA softball opens NISC championship round Wednesday in California
CONWAY, Ark. - With a shallow pop fly falling into Krista Rude’s glove in left, UTA softball made history as the team rushed the pitcher’s mound with arms raised and smiles all around. The Mavericks had claimed the NISC Conway Regional to advance out of a postseason regional for the first time in program history on Friday afternoon.
A 5-2 win over Big 12 foe Texas Tech claimed UTA’s spot in the National Invitational Softball Championship (NISC) final four held in Los Angeles, Calif. on May 23. It was the team’s second consecutive win in as many days over the Red Raiders, advancing in the winner’s bracket finale with a 9-4 tally the day before. The win clinched the 30-win mark as UTA remains the lone program in the tough Sun Belt Conference to still be alive in the postseason - Texas State and Louisiana fell in the NCAA Tournament.
Named to the NFCA All-Region team earlier in the week, sophomore Reagan Wright had a torrid display on the way to being named the Conway Regional MVP. Wright hit a blistering .500 with four hits, three runs, two runs driven in and an on-base percentage of .600. She was joined the All-Region team with teammates Sandra Mendoza, Laura Curry and Randi Phillips.
UTA’s accomplishments were far and wide in the regional, topping Texas Tech to end a 10-game losing streak to the Red Raiders, as well as earning the third win over a Big 12 Conference team this season after already downing Oklahoma State (receiving votes in the Top 25 poll) in Stillwater, Okla. in April.
The Mavericks (30-26) advance to take on championship-round host Loyola Marymount on Wednesday at 1 p.m. CST. UTA is joined by LMU, UC Riverside and Eastern Kentucky in the final round of the two-week NISC tournament.