VINEYARD, Utah (Interstat) — A throwing error by Texas-Arlington pitcher Hayes Melville in the bottom of the ninth inning allowed the winning run to score, giving Utah Valley a 10-9 walk-off victory Friday night at Brent Brown Ballpark in a Western Athletic Conference slugfest.

The Mavericks fell to 18-30 overall after leading early and answering multiple Wolverine rallies. Utah Valley improved to 14-35 with its second straight win over Texas-Arlington, having won 13-5 on Thursday.

Texas-Arlington jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. After a walk and a double, Xavier Melendez singled up the middle to drive in both runners. The Mavericks added two more in the top of the second on a groundout by Brody Block and an infield single by Jimmy De Anda, cutting the lead to 9-2 after two innings.

Utah Valley erupted for five runs in the bottom of the third. Block tripled to left center to score two, and Hamlin followed with an RBI single. After a pitching change, De Anda singled home another run, and the Wolverines pulled within 9-6. Texas-Arlington starter Landon Murphy worked two scoreless innings in relief, striking out one and allowing no hits.

The Wolverines tied the game at 9-9 in the bottom of the sixth when Kaden Carpenter hit a solo home run to center field, his 15th of the season. The Mavericks had taken a 9-7 lead in the top of the fifth on a bases-loaded walk and then extended it to 9-8 in the sixth on a two-run single by Noah Fields. Texas-Arlington regained the lead at 9-8 in the top of the seventh on a wild pitch that scored a run, followed by an RBI single from Melendez.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Houston was hit by a pitch, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Block lined out to left field for the second out. Hamlin then hit a grounder to the mound that Melville fielded, but his throw to first base was errant, allowing Houston to score the unearned, walk-off run.

Melendez led the Mavericks’ 16-hit attack, going 4 for 6 with three RBIs. Fields was 3 for 5 with two RBIs. For the Wolverines, De Anda went 3 for 4 with two RBIs, and Carpenter had a home run. Utah Valley starter Jacob Heppner pitched four innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs with one strikeout. Cooper Littledike earned the win with a scoreless ninth inning, allowing one hit and striking out one.

Texas-Arlington had won three of its previous five games before the series, including an 8-5, 11-inning victory over Utah Tech on May 10. Utah Valley had lost six of its last seven entering the series, with its only win in that span coming against Abilene Christian on May 9.

The Mavericks and Wolverines conclude their three-game series Saturday. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Texas-Arlington 3, Utah Valley 4 and Interstat’s ELO system gave Texas-Arlington a 53.60 percent probability to win.