LUBBOCK, Texas -- No. 12-ranked UT Tyler picked up a doubleheader split at Lubbock Christian Saturday, answering an 11-7 defeat in Game 1 with a 4-3 victory to take a 2-1 series lead heading into Sunday's final game of the four-game Lone Star Conference series.

Jacob Blatney struck out seven in six innings of the nightcap to earn the win, and Matthew McMillan slammed the door in the seventh for his sixth save of the year. Riley Jepson and Jordan Gochenour each collected two hits in the opener and added run-producing hits in the nightcap to help lead the Patriots' offense.

With the split, UT Tyler went to 18-3 overall and dropped a game behind Angelo State (19-2) in the Lone Star Conference standings. Lubbock Christian is now 7-14 on the year.

How It Happened (Game 1): Bowie Farris hit a two-run home run in the top of the first inning to provide UT Tyler with an early two-run lead, but Lubbock Christian scored 11 runs in four innings to take an 11-2 lead after five innings. The Chaparrals scored six runs in the fifth inning, capped by a Trevor Andrus home run.

Jordan Gochenour hit an RBI double in the sixth, and Zach Sanchez added a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 11-4, and Gochenour hit another RBI double in a three-run seventh as the Patriots closed the gap to 11-7. With two outs in the seventh, UT Tyler brought the potential tying run to the plate, but LCU closer Koi Carrillo left the bases loaded with a game-ending lineout to pick up the save.

All six of UT Tyler's hits came from three players, as Riley Jepson, Bowie Farris, and Jordan Gochenour tallied two hits each. Farris scored three runs and drove in three, and Gochenour had a pair of RBIs.

How It Happened (Game 2): For the fifth straight game, the Patriots scored in the first inning, taking a 1-0 lead on Riley Jepson's double to left-center in the top of the first. UT Tyler added two more in the third, on a Bowie Farris sacrifice fly and Jordan Gochenour's RBI single up the middle for a 3-0 lead.

Lubbock Christian cut the lead to 3-1 on Larry Leitha's solo home run in the bottom of the third, but the Patriots extended the lead to 4-1 in the fourth inning after Jeffrey Padavick led off the inning with a double and later scored on a wild pitch.

Starting pitcher Jacob Blatney took the 4-1 lead into the sixth, but LCU closed the gap to 4-3 on Luis Navarro's two-run home run with one out in the sixth. Blatney retired the next two batters to keep a one-run lead into the seventh, and Matthew McMillan pitched a scoreless seventh to collect the save. Lubbock Christian loaded the bases on two walks and an error, but McMillan got a double-play grounder to end the contest.

Inside The Box Score: UT Tyler scored twice in the first inning of Saturday's opener and scored a single run in the first of the nightcap, making it five straight games the Patriots have scored in the first inning… Riley Jepson's 2-for-3 performance in the opener was his ninth multi-hit game of the season… Jordan Gochenour's RBI doubles gave him a team-high 9 doubles on the season… Gochenour is also the Patriots' team leader in total extra-base hits (12).