TYLER, Texas—The University of Texas at Tyler Softball (29-2) pushed their win streak to 14-consecutive games with a doubleheader sweep of Howard Payne University (13-19) Friday afternoon at Suddenlink Field. The afternoon began with the Patriots grabbing an 8-0 win in six innings before completing the series sweep with an 18-0 victory in five innings.
 
Neither team was able to score in their first inning at the plate, but the Patriots broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the second inning. Senior utility Lynsey Mitchell (Liberty Hill, Texas) began the frame with a double to left center field before Freshman outfielder Breanne McElderry (Pflugerville, Texas) came in to pinch run. Sophomore infielder Mak Dominguez (Austin, Texas) advanced McElderry to third base with a single to left field and senior outfielder Nicole Garcia (Sugar Land, Texas) brought both runners home with a double to left field.
 
The leadoff batter reached again in the bottom of the third inning when sophomore catcher Ashley Perez (Pflugerville, Texas) reached on a walk. Senior infielder Theresa Gonzales (Elgin, Texas) followed with her second homerun in as many days and team-leading sixth of the season. The long ball over the wall in left center plated two more runs and gave the Patriots a 4-0 lead after three innings.
 
An inning later, Garcia hit a homerun of her own to plate another run. The solo shot was her fourth long ball of the season and the team's fourth in two days. The Yellow Jackets threatened in the top of the fifth inning with a one-out single, but senior left-handed pitcher Colleen Bentke (Brenham, Texas) retired the next to batters. She finished her outing after that half inning with five shutout frames and two strikeouts.
 
Junior right-handed Miranda Leal (San Antonio, Texas) pitched the top of the sixth inning and allowed a baserunner to begin the inning. With help from the defense, the Patriots stranded the runner at first base to send it to the bottom of the sixth.
 
All five batters that came to the plate for UT Tyler reached safely beginning with Dominguez who doubled to left field. She was joined on the base paths by freshman infielder Chaney Tart (Malakoff, Texas) who was hit by a pitch and Garcia who reached on a walk. With the bases loaded, two runs came around to score on a single to right field from senior infielder Victoria Gonzales (Elgin, Texas). Perez followed with an RBI double to center field to plate the eighth Patriot run of the game and seal the 8-0 victory to begin the day.
 
Bentke moved to 16-2 after her five innings of work. She has now pitched 103 innings on the season and owns a 1.22 earned run average. At the plate, Dominguez recorded a game-high three hits and came around to score two runs. Garcia, Perez, and Mitchell each recorded a pair of hits.
 
UT Tyler waisted little time getting the offense going in the series finale. After Garcia walked to leadoff the bottom of the first and Victoria Gonzales doubled to center field, Perez sent a single into center field and advanced to second base on an error. Both baserunners came around to score on the play while another error with Theresa Gonzales at the plate put runners at first and second. Senior infielder Serena Saldivar (Garland, Texas) took advantage of the baserunners and sent a three-run homer over the left field wall. Her fifth long ball of the season made it a 5-0 UT Tyler lead while back-to-back RBI-singles by senior outfielder Dariann Resendez (Austin, Texas) and sophomore outfielder Haleigh Swinney (Crosby, Texas) gave the Patriots a 7-0 lead after their half of the first.
 
Nearly doubling their score in the second, the Patriots began the home half of the inninh with a walk to Perez. Senior catcher Courtney Campbell (Bonney Lake, Washington) singled with one out while Mitchell continued her weekend tear with another homerun, this time to left center field. Her second of the weekend and fourth of the season made it a 10-0 UT Tyler lead. Later in the inning, sophomore outfielder Shae Smith (Brenham, Texas) picked up a two-RBI double while freshman infielder Allyssa Young (Franklin, Louisiana) followed with a pinch-hit RBI-single to right field. After the first two innings, UT Tyler jumped out to a 13-0 advantage.
 
Neither team scored in the third inning, but the Patriots added to their lead in the to of the fourth. One run came in to score on a Smith ground out before back-to-back singles by freshman utility Lauren Harris (Sugar Land, Texas) and Campbell made it a 16-0 score. With the bases loaded after the two base hits, freshman infielder Carson Robertson (Carthage, Texas) was hit by a pitch to plate another and leave the bases loaded. The final run of the contest came with a two-out single by Dominguez for the 18^th Patriot run of the night.
 
With HPU unable to score the rest of the way, UT Tyler held on for the 18-0 victory. Junior right-hander Whitney Romero (Lafayette, Louisiana) remained unbeaten on the season with her 11^th win. She worked the first three innings and allowed just three baserunners while striking out six. Senior right-hander Sam Junkin (Hunt, Texas) pitched the fourth inning and punched out a pair of batters while freshman right-hander Payton Foster (Lufkin, Texas) closed the game in the fifth.
 
Smith, Saldivar, and Mitchell each recorded three hits RBI's while 10 total Patriots drove in a run. Young, Campbell, and Dominguez each recorded a pair of hits with 14 total batters getting a hit in the contest.
 
The Patriots will now hit the road for their next six games beginning with a three-game slate at No. 2 East Texas Baptist University. The series will open with a doubleheader on Thursday at 5 p.m. before concluding on Saturday at 2 p.m.