TYLER, TEXAS – #17 UT Tyler needed just six hits to open up the weekend series against Eastern New Mexico with a 12-0 win in just seven innings on Friday night at Irwin Field.
 
Tanner Roach went 3-for-3 and hit a three-run homer in the sixth to enact the run rule of the Greyhounds for UT Tyler (9-4, 9-4 LSC) in the first of a three-game series against Eastern New Mexico (4-9, 3-9 LSC). Johnnie Krawietz picked up his second win on the year by going six innings in the start while allowing just three hits and striking out nine along the way.
 
UT Tyler plated seven runs in the bottom of the third to build an eight-run advantage over a Greyhound club that committed five errors in that costly frame.
 
Hayden Clearman broke the scoreless tie prior to that seven-run third inning for UT Tyler with a single back up the middle that scored Roach for the first of his three times crossing the plate on Friday night. Edward Ortiz hit a sac fly to center field that scored Cade Watson from third to get the bottom of the third started for the Patriots.
 
Watson advanced on base on the first of five Greyhound errors in that frame and then made his way to third after a throwing error by Eastern New Mexico starter James Romero on an attempt to throw Watson out on his steal attempt to second base. The final six runs in the inning for UT Tyler all came with two outs and were manufactured in a variety of ways as the Patriots batted through the order on their way to an 8-0 advantage.
 
Lukas Polanco cashed in Riley Jepson, who advanced on via walk and then stole second, prior to consecutive wild pitches and then a walk and a pair of hit batters lead to another Patriot run with two outs. Two more fielding errors by the Greyhounds made way for four more runs to cross for the Patriots before the third out was finally recorded.
 
Jordan Gochenour scored on a balk by the Greyhound pitcher in the fourth before the Roach homer to left field scored Polanco and McShaffry to enact the ten run-rule. Kameron Wheeler took the mound for his first ever appearance in a Patriot uniform in relief of Krawietz in the seventh and worked around a pair of base runners for the Greyhounds with one out to put an end to the contest.
 
Polanco and McShaffry both scored twice in the game while Polanco, Jepson and Clearman joined Roach in the hit column.
 
UT Tyler and Eastern New Mexico will meet for a doubleheader to finish up the series tomorrow afternoon beginning at 1 p.m.