SAN ANGELO, TEXAS – UT Tyler plated four runs in just two innings and outhit the Rams on the day, but a home run in the seventh inning gave #5 Angelo State the edge.
The Patriots struck first in the contest after the first two hitters of the game reached base.
Tanner Roach singled up the middle and
Riley Lambert moved him into scoring position with a double.
Kyle McShaffry came up with the RBI after a groundout to second, and the score was 1-0.
The top of the second gave the Patriots their biggest inning of the afternoon. After a pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases, Lambert drove in a run off of a fielder's choice. With two runners on and one out,
Tommy van de Sanden came up huge with a deep drive down the right field line for a triple. That made the score 4-0 after just two innings.
Hayden Collins was the man who got the ball for the Patriots as the starting pitcher in the contest. In the first inning, the first two runners reached base, but Collins caught a break when Aaron Walters hit the runner going from first to second for the first out of the inning. Collins settled in and shut down the Rams attack with a pair of strikeouts.
In the second and third innings, Collins gave up just one hit and had two walks but allowed zero runs to protect the Patriot lead.
The top of the fourth was the best chance for the Patriots since the three-run second inning. Roach doubled down the line, and Lambert singled to left. However, Roach was thrown out at home and Lambert was thrown out attempting to advance to second base and the rally was cut short.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, a leadoff single led to an immediate double play by the Patriots and two outs were on the board. However, the next batter reached on a single, and the next struck out but reached on a wild pitch. The throw to first was wide, and the Rams had their first run on the board. After a walk and another single, #5 Angelo State cut the lead down to 4-2 through four innings.
Easton Malin came on in relief of Collins at the end of the fourth inning. In the fifth, a pair of hits from the Rams led to runners on second and third and they cashed in another run on a sacrifice fly. Malin settled in and got the next two outs to limit the damage to just one.
Tyler Baack took over for Malin to begin the sixth inning. After getting a strikeout and a flyout, an RBI single brought in another run and the Patriots lead was erased.
In the seventh inning,
Garrett Arredondo entered the game for Baack. He forced a groundout to begin the inning, but a drive from Austin Beck cleared the right field wall and gave the Rams all the insurance they needed for the remainder of the game.
The Patriots attempted to get a rally started in the ninth inning after Roach singled into left field. Lambert followed with his own single to left and they had two runners on with just one out. That brought up van de Sanden, but he lined out hard to the short stop and it turned into a double play after Roach was doubled off at second.
Tanner Roach led the offense on the day with a 4-for-5 effort that included a run scored and a double.
Riley Lambert went 3-for-5 and also had a run scored and a double.
Tommy van de Sanden went 2-for-5 and drove in a pair of runs.
Hayden Collins went three and two thirds while giving up six hits and no earned runs. He struck out five and had three walks.
The Patriots will now return home to Irwin Field at the UT Tyler Ballpark for their first home games of the 2022 season.
Game one of the series against Texas A&M International is scheduled for Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. On Feb. 12, there will be a doubleheader, with game one beginning at 3 p.m. and game two beginning approximately 35 minutes after the conclusion of that game. The fourth and final game of the series with the Dustdevils is set to begin at 1 p.m. Feb. 13.
