TYLER, TEXAS – The University of Texas at Tyler baseball program used a big second inning and cashed in several more insurance runs to give the pitching staff all the help they needed to get the win and split the four game series against St. Edward's.
 
Early run support was the story of the day for the Patriots as they grabbed four big runs in the bottom half of the second inning. Those runs came with some fantastic baserunning after the Patriots loaded the bases on a walk and a pair of infield singles from Hayden Clearman and Carson Cox.
 
Riley Lambert reached on a fielder's choice for the first run of the game, and immediately head coach Brent Porche put on the double steal to give the Patriots another run after Clearman stole home.  
 
Lambert was able to go to third thanks to a balk, and Tanner Roach brought him home with a surprise bunt single down the line that caught St. Edward's on their heels. After Roach stole second, Kyle McShaffry brought him around with a single to right field and made it 4-0.
 
That is exactly what the doctor ordered for Nolan Cox, who got his first start of the season. Cox spread out three hits over the first two innings, with only one of those runners reaching second base. In the top of the third, the only run of the game was scored by the Hilltoppers as a two out walk was driven in with a big double to right field.
 
The top half of the fourth saw Cox settle right back in, allowing just one hit while inducing a pair of groundouts and a line out to center field.
 
A.J. Irvin was handed the ball in the top of the fifth inning to relieve Cox, and he picked up right where Cox left off. Irvin set down the Hilltoppers in order for the first time in the game, and the Patriots offense went right back to work.
 
UT Tyler was able to plate a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth. The Patriots loaded the bases on three consecutive singles to begin the inning, and that drove the starting pitcher from the game. Cade Watson grounded into a 4-6-3 double play, but that brought the fifth run of the game across the plate. Clearman then reached on an error by the second baseman and that brought in another run.
 
Irvin came right back to work in the sixth inning as he sat down the three hitters from St. Edward's in order. Those included a pair of hard hit line drives that were snagged by McShaffry and Roach. In the seventh, Irvin faced his first real challenge. After a leadoff flyout, the next hitter reached on a bunt single. Irvin was able to induce another flyout, but issued a walk with two outs to put two runners on base for the first time since the second inning. Irvin got the next man out with a weak ground ball to second base and the inning was done.
 
The eighth inning saw Mitchell Lee come in for Irvin and look to shut down the Hilltoppers batters for good. After a leadoff single, the Patriots got a huge strike out and then caught the runner trying to steal second on strike three and just like that there were two away. The next hitter walked, but Lee backed it up with a strikeout to end the inning.
 
In the bottom half of the inning, the Patriots offense added in another pair of insurance runs to give the pitching staff a comfortable seven run lead. After a Cox single and a Lambert hit by pitch, the Patriots had two runners on with one out. Roach flew out to left field, and McShaffry drew a walk to load the bases. That brought in Lukas Polanco, who singled up the middle to make it 8-1.
 
With the game clearly in hand, Lee came out for the ninth inning and induced three consecutive groundouts to end the ballgame. One of those went to McShaffry, one to Tommy van de Sanden, and the final out of the game was fielded by Lee himself.
 
A pair of Patriots ended the contest with two hits as every player in the lineup reached base. Lukas Polanco and Carson Cox each had two hits, while Polanco added in two RBI's.
 
A.J. Irvin got the win for the Patriots after Cox didn't go the minimum number of innings required to receive the win, but it was a total team effort from the staff. Cox, Irvin, and Lee combined to allow just six hits and one earned run while striking out three hitters and issuing just three walks on the day.
 
Next up for UT Tyler is a road trip out to Canyon, Texas to take on #3 West Texas A&M. That will be a four game series that is scheduled to begin on Friday, March 4 at 7 p.m. The two teams will then play a doubleheader on Saturday that begins at 4 p.m., then wraps up with a 1 p.m. finale on Sunday, March 6.