FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS – UT Tyler baseball won their third consecutive contest on Sunday after scoring 10 unanswered runs to put away the Lions in game four of the series and make it 11 wins in their last 13 games.
The Patriots have caught fire as of late and today was no different.
Nick Niebur got the ball to start the series finale on Sunday and despite a bumpy start, got the win on the day.
Both teams combined for just three hits through an inning and a half, but the Lions got on the board first in the bottom of the second. A leadoff single and a fielder's choice put one runner on with one out. After two walks and a strikeout, the bases were loaded for the Lions, who then connected on a bases clearing double and then a single up the middle to take a quick 4-0 lead after just two innings.
The Patriots have shown to be a gritty team all season after their opponent scores runs, and the top of the third showed that yet again. A leadoff single from
Tanner Roach followed by a steal and a passed ball put him on third with just one out.
Kyle McShaffry then drove him home with a sacrifice fly to right field to put the Patriots on the board.
Niebur settled in for the third, and quickly got three outs to bring the bats back around in the top of the fourth.
Jordan Gochenour led off with a double to left center and later scored off of a
Dylan Blomquist single and cut the lead down to 4-2.
The top of the fifth inning was the biggest inning of the day for UT Tyler. The first two hitters went down in order to put two quick outs on the board, but
Ethan Bedgood got things started with a hit by pitch.
Gochenour walked, and
Lukas Polanco delivered a single to left to score Bedgood and move Gochenour to third. Blomquist followed with his third single of the day to score both Gochenour and Polanco.
Not done yet,
Carson Cox stepped into the box for UT Tyler and drilled a 1-0 pitch deep over the left center field wall for a two run home run and the Patriots quickly had a 7-4 lead that they would not relinquish.
Niebur worked yet another flawless inning in the fifth, working around a leadoff single to record three consecutive outs and preserve the Patriot lead. In the top of the sixth, UT Tyler struck again, this time by loading the bases on two walks and a single for Polanco. This time Polanco was hit by a pitch on the first pitch of his at-bat, and that would bring in the eighth run of the game.
Nick Oslovar took over for Neibur in the bottom half of the sixth, and quickly worked the first 1-2-3 inning of the game. In the seventh, Oslovar allowed a leadoff single but found a work around as he retired the next three batters in order. In the bottom half of the eighth, Oslovar looked strong yet again, working another 1-2-3 inning with three consecutive flyouts.
With the Lions offense held in check, the Patriots went to work in the top of the ninth to add more insurance runs. Blomquist tacked on his fourth single of the day to lead off the inning and was replaced on the basepaths by
Kyle Hawkins. After a fielder's choice, Roach reached base on a bunt single to move Cox up to second, who then scored on a throwing error to make it 9-4.
Hayden Clearman was then hit by a pitch to put two runners on base. The double steal was put on, and Clearman got caught in a rundown but it gave Roach enough time to score from third and tack on the tenth run of the game.
A.J. Irvin came on in the bottom of the ninth to close out the game, and that is exactly what he did. Irvin induced a flyout to center field, a strikeout, and another flyout on just 10 pitches to finish off the Lions once and for all and collect yet another win for the Patriots.
Kyle McShaffry,
Jordan Gochenour,
Dylan Blomquist, and
Tanner Roach all collected multi-hit games for UT Tyler as the team had 15 total. Blomquist led the day on offense with a 4-for-5 performance with four singles, one run, and three RBI's.
Nick Niebur gets the win after going five innings and giving up eight hits and four runs. He also collected six strikeouts and just three walks.
Nick Oslovar and
A.J. Irvin combined for four innings of scoreless relief while allowing just one hit and striking out two hitters.
Next up for UT Tyler will be a home series against Oklahoma Christian that is set to begin on April 14 at 7 p.m. This weekend's series will be a four game series on Thursday-Saturday as the LSC will take Sunday off for Easter. On Friday, the Patriots will recognize UT Health East Texas with their own day at the ballpark during the doubleheader, and Saturday's series finale will be Military Appreciation Day.
