Late inning heroics seal Frogs win
The Horned Frogs recorded their first victory over Texas-Arlington this season in the teams’ third meeting.

By Brent Yarina
Sports Editor

Only the seventh inning stretch could interrupt Chris Neuman’s flare for the dramatic Wednesday night at Lupton Stadium.

The senior first baseman ended Texas-Arlington’s half of the seventh with a sparkling grab in foul territory and then led off the bottom half of the inning with a lead-off home run, giving the Frogs (20-14, 8-5 Conference USA) a 4-3 advantage they wouldn’t relinquish.

“The catcher told me I had room,” said Neuman of the inning-ending grab. “I got to the fence and it hit me. I didn’t even know I had the ball until I started running away. It pumped me up a little bit.”

The fence got the best of Neuman, who got his cleats stuck in it, but nothing was going to keep him from doing his job at the plate.

“I just went up there trying to see my pitch,” he said. “Earlier in the game, I wasn’t swinging too well. I just tried to make something happen and wanted to go up there with confidence.”

Head coach Jim Schlossnagle credited Neuman’s concentration for the game changing catch.

“He did a good job staying with it,” Schlossnagle said. “We talk about the wind every day in pregame. It was the same thing today. We tell them never to give up and he didn’t. It was a great play and it was certainly a momentum changer.”

The first year head coach said Neuman’s seventh inning heroics proves true one the game’s oldest clichés.

“In baseball it’s that old-time saying that when a guy makes a great play to end an inning he leads off the next with something good. And it all worked.”

Neuman recorded the Frogs’ only RBI of the game on his homer to right field, as the team’s three other runs came via the wild pitch and passed ball.

The Frogs and Mavericks both recorded six hits on the night. Both starting pitchers, however, only lasted three innings. Chase Perry, the Frogs starter, allowed two earned runs on three hits, while striking out four and walking two.

Junior pitcher Chad Underwood played a big role in keeping the Mavericks’ bats quiet. Underwood threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out five in relief of junior Chris White in the fifth inning.

“I was really proud with how Chad pitched,” Schlossnagle said. “We gave Chad a week off because this was the most he’s ever pitched in his college career. I thought he looked like his normal self again tonight.”

Schlossnagle said the Frogs recorded their first win against the Mavericks this year because Hunter Pence was out of UTA’s lineup. The junior outfielder was 7-for-10 with four runs and four RBI in two previous matchups against the Frogs this season.

“Thank goodness the Babe Ruth of college baseball wasn’t playing,” he said. “Or at least he has played like that against us.”

The Frogs’ first victory over the Mavericks was costly though.

Freshman shortstop German Duran had to leave the game after he was hit in the wrist with a pitch in the eighth inning.

Schlossnagle is confident the injury is not serious.

“He’s swollen up pretty bad,” he said. “I don’t think it is broken. Of course, we wont know until tomorrow. I think he’ll be OK.”