Box Score MONTICELLO, ARK. - #24 UT Tyler conserved a 9-7 non-conference win over Arkansas-Monticello in the final innings on Tuesday night on the road.
 
A solo homer from Tanner Roach and an RBI single from Jordan Gochenour gave UT Tyler the advantage they needed to negate two Arkansas-Monticello runs in the bottom of the ninth to pick up the victory in midweek action. Gochenour recorded three RBI in the game, none more important than his RBI single in the top of the ninth that scored Kyle McShaffry to complete a two-run frame after a leadoff homer from Tanner Roach.
 
Matthew McMillan picked up his fourth save of the season despite conceding a pair of runs in the bottom half of the ninth inning. McMillan ultimately got the final out needed with the bases loaded and two outs on a caught stealing attempt as Arkansas-Monticello attempted to force the issue and get a runner home on a wild pitch.
 
The Patriots caught the baserunner from second in a rundown and applied the tag to record the third and final out of the ballgame, despite the seventh and final run of the ballgame scoring for the Boll Weevils on the play.
 
UT Tyler led from the top of the first on thanks to three runs in their first trip to the plate in the top half of the inning, and scored nine runs on just 10 hits to record the team's first non-conference win of the 2021 season. Nathan Holmes recorded his second win of the year in relief of starter Nolan Cox, who went four full innings in the midweek start before giving way to the Patriot bullpen.
 
All three of the opening runs of the ball game came with two outs in that first inning as Gochenour was credited with his first RBI of the night after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Riley Jepson from third. Lukas Polanco singled to center in the ensuing at bat to triple that 1-0 lead, scoring Ethan Bedgood and Kyle McShaffry.
 
Arkansas-Monticello brought a single run home in each of the first four frames to keep pace with the Patriot offense, as a two-run top half of the third kept UT Tyler ahead in the contest by a 5-4 margin despite the string of runs for the opposition. The first of those two runs came on yet another hit by pitch, this time on Edward Ortiz, with the bases loaded and two outs.
 
Kyle Bumstead drew a walk on the ensuing at bat to keep the base runners advancing, scoring Gochenour on the play and bringing the score to 5-3 in favor of the Patriots. Monticello's fourth straight inning with a run narrowed the lead to 5-4 after the fourth, before Bumstead stole home in the sixth and Gochenour homered in the seventh to extend the Patriot lead to 7-4.
 
McMillan retired all three batters he faced in the top of the eighth before the Roach homer and RBI single from Gochenour gave the Patriots breathing room as Arkansas-Monticello scored the pair of runs in the ninth to bring the score to a 9-7 final tally.
 
Gochenour had a hand in five of the Patriot runs on the night, recording the aforementioned three RBI and scoring twice. McShaffry scored on three separate occasions in the game and joined Gochenour with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 from the plate.
 
The Patriots will get back to their Lone Star Conference schedule this weekend with a three-game series against UT Permian Basin beginning at 3 p.m. on Friday afternoon in Odessa, Texas.