KINGSVILLE, TEXAS – The Patriots baseball program dropped the season finale against Texas A&M-Kingsville on Sunday afternoon as the Javelinas posted runs in the first three innings and UT Tyler's bats could not respond.
 
Tanner Roach led off the inning for the Patriots just as he has done all season, and worked a full count walk. He immediately stole second, and Riley Lambert walked right behind him. That gave the Patriots two runners on with no outs, but the next three hitters went down in order and the threat was done.
 
Hayden Collins got the ball for the Patriots to start the Sunday contest and series finale. The first batter of the inning for the Javelinas walked, and the next man up singled to left field. That brought up Giancarlo Servin, who promptly homered on the first pitch of the bat and made the score 3-0. After a walk to the next hitter, who advanced to second on a wild pitch, Nick Wolff laced a double to left center field to score another run and make it 4-0.
 
That hit brought in Easton Malin to pitch for UT Tyler. He struck out the first hitter he faced, but then gave up a single. After another strikeout, Malin got the last out of the inning on a first pitch ground ball and the Patriots were out of the inning.
 
In the second inning, UT Tyler threatened to score again but could not capitalize. After Kyle McShaffry led off with a walk, the next two hitters went down in order. That brought up Hayden Clearman, who doubled down the left field line and put himself and McShaffry into scoring position. Roach was the next man up, but lined out to right field to end the rally for the Patriots.
 
In the bottom of the second, Texas A&M-Kingsville got going quickly again with a pair of runs to make it 6-0. A leadoff triple started the inning, but the next hitter grounded out to third. That brought up Servin again, who tripled to left center field for his fourth RBI of the game. The next hitter grounded out to shortstop, and that scored Servin. Wolff walked up to bat for the Javelinas, and he also tripled to put another runner in scoring postion, but Malin induced a lineout to center field and the threat was done.
 
After the Patriots went down in order in the top of the third inning, Johnnie Krawietz entered the contest in place of Malin. After giving up a leadoff single, Krawietz struck out the next two Javelinas hitters looking. After a steal of second and then advancing to third via a wild pitch, the Javelinas had a runner on third with two outs.
 
A single through the right side drove in the run, and another steal of second had a runner in scoring position. The next hitter singled through the right side again, and that made it 8-0 in the bottom of the third inning. That final single drove off Krawietz, and Garrett Arredondo took his position on the mound and struck out the final hitter of the inning.
 
The Patriots got a leadoff single in the fourth and the fifth innings, but they could not advance the runner in either inning. Arredondo settled in and retired the Javelinas in order in the fourth, and also got out of a jam in the fifth without allowing a run. After getting the first two batters out by a flyout and a strikeout, the next hitter reached via an error, and then was moved into scoring position with a single. Arrendondo wasn't phased, and induced a flyout to right field to end the inning.
 
The seventh inning was the only inning of the contest with a run for the Patriots. Tommy van de Sanden was the leadoff man, and ripped a solo home run to left field on a 2-1 count to cut the lead to 8-1. After a strikeout and a flyout to left center field, Roach reached on a walk. That brought in Lambert, but he was unable to keep the rally going after a popup to shortstop.
 
In the bottom half of the sixth inning, Nolan Cox took over for Arredondo, and gave up no runs in the sixth. In the seventh, he got the first hitter of the inning for the Javelinas to groundout and then followed that up with a flyout to left center field. With two outs, the next hitter walked and then scored on a double to make the score 9-1 after seven innings.
 
In the ninth inning and the Patriots looking to start a rally, Kyle McShaffry led off the inning with a walk and made it seven innings where the leadoff man reached base. After the walk, the Patriots went down in order with a popout and a pair of groundouts to end the game.
 
Hayden Clearman was the only man for the Patriots to have two base hits on the day. He went 2-for-4 in the contest. Tanner Roach and Kyle McShaffry each had two walks on the day.
 
Tommy van de Sanden was responsible for the only Patriots run of the day as he hit a home run to left field. That is his first home run of the season.
 
Following the 1-3 series loss, UT Tyler will now head back home to Irwin Field at the UT Tyler Ballpark to host St. Edward's for a four game series. The first game of the four game set will begin on Friday with a 7 p.m. start. On Saturday, the second and third games will be a part of a 7 inning doubleheader that starts at 3 p.m. On Sunday, the series will wrap up with a 1 p.m. start.