SAN ANTONIO, Texas – UT Tyler picked up where it left off in its last games over two weeks ago, picking up a 3-0, 8-4 doubleheader sweep over Our Lady of the Lake Tuesday afternoon to improve to 12-0 on the season heading into Friday's Lone Star Conference opener.
Payton Foster tossed a complete-game 4-hit shutout in the opener, and the offense produced 8 runs on 11 hits in the nightcap to carry the Patriots to an 8-4 victory.
Serena Saldivar hit a solo home run in the first inning of the opener, her team-leading sixth home run of the season, and Ashley Perez hit a two-run home run in the third inning of the nightcap to help UT Tyler take the lead for good.
With the sweep, the Patriots improved to 12-0 on the season, while Our Lady of the Lake fell to 6-12.
How It Happened (Game 1): Serena Saldivar hit a two-out solo home run in the top of the first inning to give UT Tyler a 1-0 lead, but the Patriots didn't score again until they pushed insurance runs across in the sixth and seventh innings. Tristin Anders hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning to extend the lead to 2-0, and Ashley Perez drove in another on a fielder's choice in the seventh.
In the meantime, sophomore pitcher Payton Foster fired seven shutout frames, allowing just four hits without a walk while striking out seven to claim the complete-game victory.
How It Happened (Game 2): Our Lady of the Lake pushed the first run across in the second game, taking a 1-0 lead after a pair of two-out hits and a passed ball which allowed the run to score. It didn't take long for the Patriots to answer, as Kylie Brown led off the second with a triple and scored on an error. Haleigh Swinney's sacrifice fly brought another run home to give the Patriots a 2-1 lead.
In the third inning, Ashley Perez smacked a two-run home run after Serena Saldivar drew a leadoff walk, extending the lead to 4-1, and the Patriots added two more runs in the frame to extend the lead to 6-1. Our Lady of the Lake cut the lead to 6-3 in the bottom of the third on Joanna Gonzalez's two-run double, but UT Tyler put those two runs back onto the lead in the fifth inning with two runs on a Mak Dominguez double.
Dominguez and Kylie Brown each collected a pair of hits to lead the Patriots' 8-run, 11-hit attack, and Miranda Leal scattered 3 runs (2 earned) on 8 hits in 6 innings to pick up the win. Whitney Romero finished off the game with a scoreless inning of relief.
Inside The Box Score: UT Tyler pitchers did not surrender a walk in either game of Tuesday's doubleheader… Haleigh Swinney and Serena Saldivar both hit safely in both games, extending each of their individual hitting streaks to 12 games to start the season, although both streaks extend into last season, as well… Swinney's streak is at 15 games including the final three games of the 2019 campaign, and Saldivar hit safely in the final eight contests of 2019 to give her a 20-game hitting streak extending back to last season… After surrendering the first run in the second game and coming back to win, UT Tyler has now come from behind to win 9 of its 12 games so far.
What's Next: UT Tyler hosts No. 21-ranked Texas A&M Commerce on Friday, Feb. 28, to open Lone Star Conference play. The Patriots host another LSC doubleheader against Texas Woman's University on Sunday, March 1.
Quotable (head coach Mike Reed): "It was good for us to play again after this long gap in our schedule. We needed the game reps as we prepare for the start of Lone Star Conference play this Friday. I thought our pitching did a great job, and we really leaned on them today."
