TYLER, TEXAS – Pitching was the story of the day yet again for UT Tyler as they got two extremely strong starts from Harrison Lee and Nick Niebur to help catapult them to a doubleheader sweep on Friday afternoon.
 
Harrison Lee got the ball in game one of the day and immediately got to work in shutting down Oklahoma Christian. Through the first three innings of the contest, Lee was perfect from the mound. He induced five flyouts, two groundouts, and two strikeouts to shut down the Eagles lineup the first time through.
 
That dominant display on the mound gave the Patriots bats extra motivation to put some run support on the board. Through two innings, the Patriots struggled to find a rhythm, but that all changed in the third.
 
After Tanner Roach was hit by a pitch to start the bottom half, Riley Lambert walked to put runners on first and second. The Patriots put on the double steal and were successful in moving both runners into scoring position for Cade Watson. Watson came up clutch and drove a hard-hit ball into right field for a two RBI single and the Patriots went up 2-0.
 
Lee went right back to work in the fourth and sat down the Eagles in order yet again with a flyout and two more strikeouts. In the bottom half of the inning, the Patriots put two more runs on the board to give Lee even more confidence. After an Ethan Bedgood walk, a Carson Cox double, and a Roach walk, the bases were loaded for Riley Lambert. Lambert responded to the big situation with a looping single to left field to score a run. That brought up Watson again, and he responded with another clutch single, this time to center field, to score the fourth run of the game.
 
In the fifth, the Eagles led off the inning by drawing two walks, finally ending the perfect game from Lee. With the first pressure of the game on his shoulders, Lee got a huge lineout double play to get two quick outs. After another walk, he induced a fielder's choice to end the inning without allowing a hit.
 
In the sixth inning, head coach Brent Porche brought on Nick Oslovar for relief of Lee. Oslovar struck out the first hitter he faced, but allowed a single and a double to the next two hitters. That put runners on second and third with just one out, but he got himself out of the jam with a pair of huge strikeouts.
 
That was the final real threat of the contest for the Eagles as Oslovar worked around a leadoff single in the seventh before striking out two hitters and inducing a popup to end the contest.
 
Cade Watson was the only Patriots hitter in game one to produce a multi-hit game, but both turned out to be game changing hits. Watson finished with a line of 2-for-2 with three RBI's on the day.
 
Harrison Lee got the win after going five innings while allowing no hits, three walks, and striking out four hitters. Nick Oslovar came in and closed out the game while allowing just three hits and striking out five hitters.
 
GAME TWO
 
Nick Niebur got the ball to start game two of Friday's doubleheader, and he looked to continue what both starters had done in the first two contests of the series. However, Niebur opened the game with a full count hit by pitch but battled back with a sacrifice bunt and a groundout to get two outs. Chance Westervelt stepped into the box, and delivered a big two out double to drive in the first run of the game.
 
With the Eagles ahead for the first time in the series, UT Tyler looked for the answer quickly. Hayden Clearman walked to lead off the game, and Kyle McShaffry moved him to third with a single. That brought Dylan Blomquist to the plate, and he drove in the Patriots first run with a single to left field.
 
With the bats tying things up in the bottom of the first, Niebur went right back to work on the mound to try and get back on track. After giving up a leadoff single, he erased it with a 6-4-3 double play and a flyout to end the inning quickly.
 
The Patriots bats found their stride in the second inning. After a leadoff single from Lukas Polanco, Cox used a sacrifice bunt to move him to second. Roach then hit one deep in the hole to shortstop, but a fielding error caused the ball to bounce into left field, which scored Polanco from second. Roach then moved up to second base on a bad pickoff throw, and scored on a Clearman single up the middle to make it 3-1 after two.
 
In the bottom of the third, Tommy van de Sanden led off with a walk, and Bedgood singled to left field to put runners on the corners with one out. Blomquist stepped to the plate and grounded out to second base, but it was enough to score another run and secure his second RBI.
 
Niebur had settled in after giving up a run in the first, and earned his first three up three down inning in the fourth inning to keep Oklahoma Christian at bay. In the bottom half of the inning, the Patriots loaded the bases on a Cox single, Lambert walk, and an infield single from Roach. That brought Clearman to the plate, and he was hit by a pitch to score the fifth run of the game for UT Tyler.
 
With the run support behind him, Niebur got into a groove on the mound. He got the first hitter out on a groundout in the fifth before allowing a walk. Niebur responded to that by getting two consecutive flyouts and ending the inning. In the sixth, a single was erased after Polanco threw him out trying to steal second, and Niebur recorded two consecutive strikeouts to keep the Eagles scoreless again.
 
In the final inning of the game, Niebur allowed a hit by pitch and an infield single to put the first two runners aboard. The next hitter roped a pitch right at McShaffry, who quickly stepped on the bag at third and ripped it over to second. Van de Sanden attempted to complete the triple play, but the throw was just late and just a little wide. That put a runner on first with two outs, and Niebur induced a groundout to first to end the game.
 
Seven of the nine hitters for the Patriots recorded a hit, and all nine starters reached base in the contest. Dylan Blomquist went 2-for-3 on the night with two RBI's and Hayden Clearman went 1-for-1 with two RBI's and one run scored.
 
Nick Niebur went the distance in the win, allowing just four hits, two walks, and striking out four batters. After the first inning, Oklahoma Christian mustered just three hits and did not score another run.
 
Saturday will see the series come to a conclusion as the Patriots look for a four game sweep. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. as the game time was moved up due to the threat of inclement weather. Tomorrow will also serve as Military Appreciation Day and all active duty, veterans, and retired military personnel will receive free admission.