TYLER, TEXAS - #6 UT Tyler used a walk-off homer from
Ashley Perez to outlast Lubbock Christian with a 4-3 win in 10 innings before suffering their first Lone Star Conference loss by an 8-2 margin in game number two.
The Perez homer on the first pitch of her at bat to lead off the bottom of the tenth inning proved vital as UT Tyler held onto their first-place position atop the Lone Star Conference standings with a record of 15-1 in league play despite the loss in game number two.
Erin Hill picked up the win in that game one win after coming on in relief for starter
Payton Foster and allowed just a pair of hits while striking out five in her 4.0 innings of relief.
Hill followed up that great relief appearance with a start in game number two, but suffered just her second loss of the 2021 campaign after figuring in both pitching decisions for the day. Lubbock Christian scored four runs in the first three trips to the plate for the Lady Chaps and then added three more in the sixth and one in the seventh to split the day with the Patriots with an 8-2 win in game number two.
The Perez homer finally ended a game that featured zero runs through the first four innings of action to open up the doubleheader before the clubs combined to each score three runs in the following inning and half beginning in the top of the fifth. Lubbock Christian briefly opened up the advantage in that top half of the fifth with a single run.
UT Tyler quickly answered that opening run of the ball game with three runs on five hits in the bottom half of the frame. All three of those runs crossed home plate with a pair of outs on the board as
Mak Dominguez scored
Courtney Plocheck to even the score up at 1-1.
Hanna Fradkin delivered the go-ahead run by scoring pinch-runner
Shea Smith from second, who made an extra-effort run to the plate to beat a close tag from left field to put the Patriots up 2-1.
Perez followed up the Fradkin single with a base hit of her own that scored
Haleigh Swinney from third, but ended with another close play at the plate as Fradkin tried to advance home on the throw in and was tagged out at the plate.
The run differential didn't make it through the top half of the ensuing inning as the Lady Chaps took advantage of two costly fielding mistakes by the Patriots to even the game up at 3-3. That 3-3 score held through the two innings of extra softball and into the tenth inning before Perez walked it off for the Patriots with her homer to leftfield.
Another Perez blast to left field for her second homer in as many at bats for the day negated a run in the first for Lubbock Christian in game number two.
Kyla Mach hit a pinch-hit solo homer in the sixth to attempt to slow down a dominant Lady Chap offense that entered the half inning with a 7-1 lead, but posted another run in the seventh to bring the game to an 8-2 final score.
Swinney led the Patriots at the plate on the day, going 3-for-4 in game one to finish the day 4-for-6 from the plate after a hit in game number two. Fradkin and Perez both had three hits for the day while Perez led the squad with three RBI and two runs scored.
The Patriots maintained their one-game advantage on Texas A&M-Commerce after the conclusion of the day's play as the Lions dropped their second game of the day to #24 Angelo State to sit one game behind the Patriots.
UT Tyler will have Easter weekend off before returning to play on Apr. 9-11 with road doubleheaders against Texas A&M-Kingsville and Texas A&M International.
