TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler baseball batted back after being down on four different occasions on the scoreboard to collect an 8-7 game one win before falling 12-6 to split Saturday's doubleheader against St. Mary's.
 
The Patriots kicked off the final home stand of the 2021 season against the Rattlers with that emphatic come-from-behind win that saw Lukas Polanco drive in Kyler Bumstead for the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning. The RBI double for Polanco capped off the two runs needed to negate a one-run deficit heading into the eighth inning for the Patriots to jump out to the advantage in the series.
 
Nick Niebur and Rattler starter Zach De La Garza engaged in a pitcher's duel through seven innings before the St. Mary's offense came to life with nine runs in the eighth and ninth innings to even the series up at one game apiece heading into tomorrow's home finale for UT Tyler.
 
UT Tyler took a one-run lead in the bottom of the fifth with three runs as Jordan Gochenour scored Polanco on a single to center field to cut a 3-1 deficit entering the frame to just 3-2 in game one. Polanco led off the fifth for UT Tyler with a leadoff double to get a home half of the frame started that ended with a pair of runs for the Patriots on a passed ball and a wild pitch.
 
Those runs gave UT Tyler their first lead of the day, which would hold through the sixth inning before the Rattlers answered with three runs in the top of the seventh to jump ahead for the third time in the contest. UT Tyler once again answered the Rattlers with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie up the contest at 6-6.
 
Polanco scored on a groundout by Edward Ortiz while Gochenour scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly by Hayden Clearman to rightfield.
 
St. Mary's scored a run in the top of the eighth to gain the lead for the fourth time in game number one before the deciding eighth inning for the Patriots got started with a leadoff double by Corbin Geisendorff. Geisendorff scored the tying run on the Bumstead single to right center prior to serving as one of nine Patriots to get recognized during the annual senior day celebration between games.
 
Polanco's game winning double plated Bumstead, who hustled around all the way from first to put UT Tyler ahead 8-7. Judson Schaper came on for the save opportunity and struck out the side in the ninth, working around a two-out single and walk to stand two Rattler baserunners.
 
Niebur tossed five shutout innings in game number two, scattering seven hits while striking out five, and matched St. Mary's starter De La Garza with two earned runs to earn the no decision. Bumstead briefly put UT Tyler ahead in game two with a two-RBI single in the bottom of the third.
 
He finished the day with a team high five RBI between the two games. Polanco and Riley Jepson both finished the two games with four hits.
 
St. Mary's tied the game up with two runs in the sixth and then jumped ahead 3-2 in the seventh with a run before breaking the game open with six runs in the eighth. UT Tyler made it interesting in the late innings with four runs in the bottom half of eighth, but couldn't manage to cut the deficit any more as St. Mary's finished off the doubleheader with three runs in the ninth.
 
UT Tyler and St. Mary's will meet tomorrow afternoon for a deciding third game at 2 p.m. Seven graduating seniors from UT Tyler will receive their diploma prior to first pitch of that contest in a special ceremony conducted by UT Tyler president Dr. Kirk A. Calhoun at 1:30 p.m.