TYLER, Texas—The University of Texas at Tyler Baseball (21-12) won their eighth-consecutive game Friday night when they topped Howard Payne University (21-13) by a score of 15-4 at Irwin Field.
 
Neither team wasted any time putting runs on the scoreboard a beginning with the Yellow Jackets scoring a run in the top of the first. The Patriots answered with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Senior infielder Blake Wilson (Midlothian, Texas) and senior infielder Josh Burns (Center, Texas) both recorded one-out singles while senior outfielder Graham Welch (Plano, Texas) was walked to load the bases. Senior infielder Blake Maddox (Jacksonville, Texas) followed with a walk to bring in the first Patriot run. As the next batter, freshman infielder Zachary Sanchez (San Antonio, Texas) sent a two-RBI double into center field and put UT Tyler ahead, 3-1.
 
Another Patriot run came around to score in the bottom of the second. Wilson was hit by a pitch with two outs before Burns sent a double down the right field line. The hit scored Wilson from first and put UT Tyler on top, 4-1. On the first pitch in the top of the fifth inning, Maddox sent the ball over the left field wall for his fourth homerun of the season to make it a 5-1 advantage.
 
Two more Patriots homered in the bottom of the fifth with Welch sending a ball over the center field wall as the leadoff batter. His team-leading seventh of the season was the sixth UT Tyler run of the game. After the next two batter were retired, senior infielder Henry Sanchez (San Antonio, Texas) hit his fourth long ball of the season with a blast over the right field wall. The two-homerun inning made it a 7-1 Patriot lead heading into the sixth inning.
 
HPU managed a pair of runs in the top of the seventh inning to trim the deficit to three, 7-4, but the Patriots opened the floodgates in the home half of the inning. Maddox and Zachary Sanchez recorded back-to-back one out singles before Henry Sanchez was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Senior catcher Zach Pavelock (Iola, Texas) was then hit by a pitch to plate a run and keep the bases loaded while an error with junior outfielder Zane Wilkinson (Keller, Texas) at the plate scored another. Sophomore outfielder Tanner Roach (Whitehouse, Texas) sent the first pitch he saw into right center for an RBI-single and Wilson cleared the bases with a three-run double to the wall in left field. The six-run inning put the Patriots on top, 13-4, after seven.
 
For good measure, UT Tyler added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a 15-4 advantage. Maddox singled on a full count to begin the inning while Henry Sanchez put two runners on with a one-out infield single. With two outs, Wilkinson doubled to center field and drove in both baserunners. The Yellow Jackets were unable to plate a run in the top of the ninth giving the Patriots their 11-run victory.
 
For his third straight start, senior right-handed pitcher Nate Imig (Leander, Texas) went seven innings while allowing just one earned run on five hits and striking out five. He moved to 5-2 on the season and lowered his earned run average to 1.40. Freshman right-hander Tod McDowell (Bridge City, Texas) and sophomore right-hander Christian Reeves (Brownsboro, Texas) each pitched one inning of relief and faced just one batter over the minimum.
 
At the plate, Wilson, Maddox, and Zachary Sanchez recorded a game-high three hits each. Wilson also drove in three runs while scoring two more himself. It was the second-consecutive game that the Patriot lineup has plated double digit runs and the ninth time this season.
 
The final UT Tyler home series of the season will come to a close on Saturday when the two teams meet in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. A total of 10 seniors will be honored in between games as the compete at Irwin Field for the final time as student-athletes.