HAMMOND – UT Arlington freshman pitcher Sam Clakley held Southeastern Louisiana to three hits in a 5-0 Mavs' victory over the Lady Lions in the finale of a three-game non-conference softball series Sunday afternoon at North Oak Park.
 
Southeastern (12-8) was swept in the series by the Mavs (18-0), who along with defending national champion Florida, are one of two remaining unbeaten teams in Division I.
 
Sophomore designated player Carlie Whittington, sophomore outfielder Kinsey Nichols and senior first baseman Amber Sather were the only Lady Lions to collect hits in the loss. Senior Taylor Bishop (7-4) took the loss in the circle for SLU, allowing six hits in 6.1 innings of work.
 
UTA took the lead for good in the top of the first inning. Bishop walked sophomore second baseman Sandra Mendoza and senior outfielder Britnea Barilli to put a pair of runners on. Junior outfielder Mallory Foster laced a single to left to plate both runners and give the Mavs a 2-0 lead.
 
Clakley (8-0) held SLU hitless until the Lady Lions mounted their first threat in the bottom of the fourth inning. Nichols beat out a bunt single and advanced to second when junior catcher Kacey Everett's throw to first sailed wide. Sather followed with a sharp single through the left side to put runners at the corners with two outs, but Clakley forced sophomore outfielder Brittney Wingate to ground out to first to keep SLU off the board.
 
After the rough first inning, Bishop held the Mavs at bay until UTA scratched across an unearned run in the top of the sixth inning. Freshman shortstop Laura Curry led off the inning with a single and later scored when SLU freshman second baseman made a two-out error, allowing Curry to give UTA a 3-0 lead.
 
Southeastern's best scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the sixth inning. Senior shortstop Katie Lacour drew a leadoff walk, then moved to second when Whittington beat out a bunt single. After Nichols advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt, Claykey struck out Sather and forced Wingate into an inning-ending comebacker to the circle to keep SLU off the board.
 
UTA padded its lead in the top of the seventh inning, as senior first baseman Rebecca Stokes powered a two-run home run just out of the reach of a leaping Nichols in left field. Clakley retired SLU in order in the seventh to close out the 5-0 victory.
 
Southeastern will close out its pre-conference schedule on Tuesday, traveling to Southern Miss for a 6 p.m. game in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.