TYLER, TEXAS – The Patriots came away with a walk-off victory in the bottom of the eighth inning of game one off of a Carson Cox home run, but then could not hold off the Hilltoppers in the late innings in game two as the two programs split the Sunday doubleheader.
 
Game one of the doubleheader saw a gritty fight between the two programs through the first three and a half innings. Only one half inning saw the minimum batters faced, and both teams were able to compile 13 baserunners but zero runs until the bottom half of the fourth.
 
Nick Niebur got the ball to start the first contest for UT Tyler, and he was able to tough out some early baserunners to maintain an effective start. In the top of the first, the leadoff hitter reached on a single, but was immediately caught stealing. After a strikeout and a single, Niebur got the final hitter of the inning out on a groundout and the threat was over.
 
In the second and third innings, Niebur led off with a strikeout swinging. In the second inning, he got another groundout before surrendering a single. Then he left that runner stranded after inducing a fielder's choice to end that half inning. In the third, Niebur gave up a single and a walk after the strikeout, but then induced a popup to have two outs. The next hitter singled into left field, but didn't drive in a run, and Niebur forced a groundout to end the inning with no damage.
 
The bottom half of the fourth saw the offense start to pick up a little. Ethan Bedgood doubled down the left field line and then scored after another double from Alex Bruce. Carson Cox then singled to third base to move Bruce to third, and that gave the Patriots runners on the corners with one out. After a Tanner Roach flyout, Riley Lambert delivered a clutch single to center field to make it 2-0 Patriots after four innings.
 
In the top of the fifth, the Hilltoppers answered back and cut the lead in half. Morgan Allen drove a ball over the left field fence to give St. Edward's their first run of the game.
 
The Patriots had the chance to answer in the bottom of the fifth, and they did just that. Lukas Polanco singled to left field to get a runner on. After a flyout, Ethan Bedgood stepped to the plate with two outs and promptly drove the ball over the center field fence to make the score 4-1 after five innings.
 
In the top of the sixth, the Hilltoppers started to flip the momentum in their favor. A leadoff walk and a fielder's choice moved a runner into scoring position. That brought up Josh Graham, who took a pitch deep over the left center field fence to cut the lead down to just one. That homer ran Niebur from the game, and brought on Mitchell Lee.
 
Lee gave up a single to start his appearance but then got a strikeout to make it one runner on base with two outs. A pair of walks loaded the bases, but Lee got out of the jam with another strikeout and maintained the Patriots advantage.
 
After a quick bottom of the sixth, the Hilltoppers needed a run in the top of the seventh inning to at least force the Patriots to hit. Garrett Arredondo came on to pitch, and hit the first batter. A walk and a sacrifice bunt gave the Hilltoppers two runners in scoring position, and a sacrifice fly gave them the tying run.
 
After the Patriots managed just a single in the bottom of the seventh, both teams headed to extra innings. In the top of the eighth, Arredondo put his pitching on cruise control, shutting down the Hilltoppers in order with a pair of flyouts and a groundout.
 
In the bottom half of the eighth, the first two Patriots went down in order after a flyout and a groundout. That brought up Carson Cox, who belted a drive high and deep over the left field wall to walk it off for UT Tyler and snap the four game skid. That was his first home run of the season and his first in a UT Tyler uniform.
 
Five different Patriots had multiple hit games in game one. Kyle McShaffry, Lambert, Bedgood, Polanco, and Cox each managed the feat. Bedgood went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs and a pair of RBI's in the contets to lead all Patriots.
 
Garrett Arredondo gets the win for UT Tyler after giving up just one run and one walk over two innings pitched. Nick Niebur went five and a third innings allowing three earned runs on eight hits and four strikeouts. Mitchell Lee in relief pitched two thirds of an inning and gave up one hit, two walks, and no runs.
 
GAME TWO
 
Game two started similarly to game one, as neither team managed a run through the first four innings. Harrison Lee started on the bump in game two, and was flawless through two innings as he faced the minimum amount of hitters.
 
The first hit for St. Edward's came through the leadoff hitter in the third inning as he reached with a double. Lee induced a popup to get the first out, and continued to look strong. The leadoff hitter stole third during the next at-bat after the throw down to third bounced into left field, then runner got up and took off for home, but Roach perfectly backed up the play and snagged the overthrow and threw home to trap the runner in a rundown and get the out. The next hitter grounded out to Roach at shortstop and the threat was over.
 
The fifth inning is where the offenses for both teams managed to break open the pitching duel. In the top half of the fifth, the Hilltoppers started with a flyout to center, but then reached on a pair of singles. A sacrifice fly gave them runners on first and third with two outs, and that brought in Brandon Petix for Lee.
 
A steal of second gave St. Edward's two runners in scoring position, and they both came around to score on an RBI single. Another single put runners on the corners again, and another single scored a third run. That ran Petix from the game and brought on Nick Oslovar for his first appearance of the season, who immediately struck out the next hitter and ended the inning.
 
The Patriots answered the call in the bottom half of the inning with three runs of their own to tie the game. The first two hitters reached on a hit by pitch and a walk, and that brought in a new pitcher. Polanco then pitch hit and reached on an infield single to load the bases. A sacrifice fly from Cox and a single to left by Roach drove in two runs, and a pair of walks plated the final run of the inning.
 
In the top of the sixth, the Hilltoppers responded yet again, this time getting their first two hitters on base and then moving them to third via sacrifice bunt. Then a double to deep left center field plated both of those runs and made it 5-3.
 
The Patriots offense went right back to work in the bottom half of the sixth and answered the St. Edward's runs yet again. This time a pair of walks put two runners on for Roach with two outs. Roach hammered a pitch over the left field wall for a three-run home run and his sixth ever in a Patriots uniform to give UT Tyler the lead again. After a Lambert single, Tommy van de Sanden put pressure on the defense with a grounder to third that was thrown wide of the bag and bounced around in foul territory. Lambert ran all the way around from first and added an insurance run heading into the top of the seventh.
 
With a score of 7-5, the Patriots leaned on Easton Malin to close out the game after he came on with two outs in the sixth. A leadoff double from St. Edward's brought the tying run to the plate, but he grounded out to shortstop. Another double scored the run and made it 7-6. Malin struck out the next hitter, but gave up a single to tie the game heading into the bottom of the seventh.
 
Both teams could not break the scoring seal in the bottom of the seventh or in the eighth inning despite each team moving a runner to third base. In the top of the ninth with Judson Schaper on the mound for UT Tyler, the Hilltoppers led off with another double, and that was followed by a strikeout and a hit by pitch. That brought in Johnnie Krawietz in relief. He gave up a single that loaded the bases, but induced an infield fly to give the Patriots defense two outs. The next hitter hit a hard ground ball in-between first and second base, and that drove in the tie-breaking run.
 
In the bottom of the ninth and down to their last chance, UT Tyler went down with a groundout and a popout to make it two outs. Jordan Gochenour was hit by a pitch, and Cade Watson singled to center to put the tying run in scoring position, but the next hitter went down swinging, and the Hilltoppers took the second game of the doubleheader.
 
Tanner Roach was the only hitter in game two to have a multi-hit game. He went 2-for-5 on the night with one run scored and four total RBI's after his three-run homer.
 
Harrison Lee started the game and went four and two thirds innings while giving up just two runs on five hits and four strikeouts. Johnnie Krawietz got the loss after going for one and a third innings and allowing one run on two hits, a walk, two hit by pitches, and two strikeouts.
 
UT Tyler will now have the opportunity to split the series with St. Edward's tomorrow afternoon in game four. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. between the two programs.
 
Following the conclusion of the series, the Patriots will head to Canyon, Texas to take on #3 West Texas A&M in a four game road series beginning on Friday at 7 p.m.