SAN ANGELO, TEXAS – The University of Texas at Tyler softball team responded after a morning 2-0 loss in extra innings to Texas A&M International with a 4-1 win over #9 Angelo State in the afternoon game.
 
UT Tyler finished the George & Ola McCorkle Challenge with a record of 2-2 after a win against UT Permian Basin and a loss to #9 Angelo State on Monday. A Patriot offense that struggled to find it's rhythm in the morning loss to Texas A&M International came to life against Angelo State and helped support a stellar outing in the afternoon finale by Erin Hill.
 
Hill picked up her third win in as many starts to open up the 2021 campaign with a complete game, run-one allowed outing against the Rambelles. The senior transfer from USC Upstate stranded six Angelo State runners on base and worked her way out of a bases loaded situation in the bottom of the fourth inning with no outs to lead the Patriots to a resilient win after a loss to Texas A&M International earlier in the day.
 
That win over the Rambelles is the first time the Patriots have knocked off a top-10 nationally ranked opponent at the Division II level. UT Tyler took down three ranked opponents last season, but adds Angelo State as the program's first win over a top-10 Division II foe since beginning the Division II transition period two seasons ago.
 
The Patriot offense managed just five hits in an uncharacteristic effort against Texas A&M International to start off the final day of play in San Angelo for the Patriots. Payton Foster threw seven innings of scoreless softball before allowing a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning of game number to end the contest at a 2-0 final score.
 
That walk-off shot from the Dustdevils handed Foster the loss despite going seven full innings and allowing just five hits. Foster struck out five Dustdevils along the way and gave up just a single earned run.
 
UT Tyler loaded the bases in the top of the fifth with two outs with the game still scoreless, but couldn't manage to get a runner across to get Foster a lead to work with. Foster retired the next six batters in the bottom of the fifth and sixth inning before UT Tyler once again looked to get on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh.
 
A lead-off double from pinch hitter Avery Farr got the top half of the seventh started for UT Tyler. Hanna Fradkin came on to pinch run for Farr and was advanced over to third with just one out by Tristin Anders on the ensuing at bat. Two straight outs for the Patriots ended the threat before Foster worked herself out of her own pickle with a runner on third and just a single out in the inning.
 
Foster put an end to that threat with a fly out and a pop out for the next two Dustdevils at the plate as the Patriots threatened to break the scoreless tie for the final time in the top of the eighth inning with the bases loaded and no outs. Shae Harris was placed on second base in the first extra inning of the game and advanced to third after Ashley Perez was hit by a pitch in the first at bat of the inning.
 
A Serena Saldivar single in the ensuing at bat after the hit by pitch loaded the bases with UT Tyler with no outs. An infield pop-up and consecutive strikeouts for the Patriots ended the top half of the final inning with still no runs on the board for the Patriots. Darrian Smit homered in the first at bat of the bottom half of the eighth for the Dustdevils to walk it off for Texas A&M International, scoring Victoria Mal, who was placed on second prior to the homer.
 
Saldivar got the scoring started for the Patriots quickly in the afternoon contest with Angelo State in the bottom of the first with a two-out RBI single. Saldivar drove in Swinney with the single and then crossed home plate herself after an error by the Rambelles left fielder following a single by Farr in the ensuing at bat.
 
Angelo State quickly responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the first and threatened to tie the 2-1 game up in the frame with runners on second and third with just one out. Hill came through in the circle for the Patriots as she forced a ground out to the third baseman, who stepped on the bag to retire the runner coming from second and then threw to home and got the runner caught in a pickle between home and third before eventually being tagged out for the third out of the inning.
 
Hill and the Patriot defense caught another Rambelle headed for home in the bottom of the second for the third out of the inning to keep UT Tyler ahead by one run.
 
That one-run advantage would be extended to three in the top of the fourth as Bayli Simon drove in Mak Dominguez and Courtney Plocheck to give the Patriots a 4-1 advantage. Hill was challenged one final time in the bottom half of that inning with the bases loaded and no outs before retiring eight out of the final nine batters she faced in the last three innings.
 
Simon went 2-for-3 in the 4-1 win against Angelo State, both hits standing as doubles, and recorded the pair of aforementioned RBI's. Saldivar went 3-for-8 on the day and registered an RBI alongside Farr in the win against Angelo State.
 
UT Tyler will return home to host their second attempt at an Irwin Classic this weekend at Suddenlink Field and are currently scheduled to compete in a total of five games over the weekend beginning Friday evening at 6 p.m. against Our Lady of the Lake.