TYLER, TEXAS - #2 UT Tyler came out on the winning and losing end of a pair of two-run ballgames on Friday afternoon with a 6-4 loss in game one and a 5-3 win in game two over #12 Texas A&M-Kingsville.
 
UT Tyler found themselves down early in both games against their third straight opponent ranked within the top 15 of the 2022 NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll, and capitalized on a shutdown effort of relief from freshman Kaylee Davis to complete the comeback and post their third consecutive doubleheader split with the game two victory. A three-run bottom of the fifth inning cut a once 6-1 lead in favor of Texas A&M-Kingsville down to just two in game one, but the Patriots were unable to charge all the way back to drop the opener.
 
Seniors Bayli Simon and Mak Dominguez both finished the day with three hits, while Dominguez led the squad with four RBI, including the go-ahead two RBI single that was part of a four-run bottom of the fifth inning for the Patriots.
 
That bottom of the fifth inning proved friendly to UT Tyler in both contests, as they scored three runs in the frame in game one and four in the second game. Those three runs in game one cut a 6-1 Texas A&M-Kingsville lead down to just two runs following a four-run top of the fourth from the Javelinas.
 
Texas A&M-Kingsville hit solo homers in the second and third innings before the big top half of the fourth that was catalyzed by a base clearing triple to extend the advantage to 6-1. Sophomore Amanda Marek plated that lone run for the Patriots in the bottom of the second, scoring Simon on a sac fly to right field.
 
Senior Ashley Perez brought the Patriots back within three with a two-RBI single that scored Hanna Fradkin and Courtney Plocheck in the bottom of the fifth for UT Tyler. Dominguez kept the momentum going in that frame with her first RBI of the day on an infield single that scored Grace Davis, who came on to pinch run for Perez after her two-RBI single.
 
The single gave UT Tyler runners on first and second with one out, signifying the tying run on first base, but retired batters in the following two at bats put an end to the rally for the Patriots still trailing 6-4. The Patriots failed to muster any more runs in the sixth and seventh as that score held through their final two trips to the plate.
 
Sophomore Tatum Goff suffered the loss for UT Tyler after going 3.1 innings while striking out a pair of Javelinas. Senior Sarah Gartman came on in relief of Goff in the fourth inning and worked through the remainder of the contest by conceding just three hits and a pair of earned runs.
 
UT Tyler managed to get another strong relief appearance from their bullpen in game two, and utilized another big bottom of the fifth to this time complete the comeback after trailing 3-1 through three complete innings of play. Dominguez hit a two-out double that scored Simon for the lone Patriot run over those first three frames, while Texas A&M-Kingsville used a leadoff triple and consecutive singles to leadoff the top of the second and eventually score a pair of runs.
 
Davis came on in relief of starter Foster in that top half of the second with the bases loaded and just a single out. The Venus, Texas native retired the next two batters she faced to work through the jam by allowing just a single run.
 
The third Javelina homer of the afternoon, in what would be Davis' lone mistake from that point forward, put another run across after the Dominguez double cut the deficit to 2-1. Davis allowed a single after that solo homer in the top of the third, but settled in to retire the next 12 Javelina batters in a row, including each of the three batters she faced in order in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
 
The lucky bottom of the fifth finally rolled around for UT Tyler as Davis continued to deal with the 3-1 deficit still on the board, and got started with a one-out single from Goff. Perez and Simon drew back-to-back walks in the heart of the Patriot order in the next two at bats, before sophomore Avery Farr cut the deficit to just one with an RBI single that scored Davis, who came on to pinch run for Goff.
 
Pinch hitter Maddie Melton tied the game up at 3-3 on a foul out to the third baseman that was deep enough in foul territory to allow pinch runner Sam Schott to score from third. Dominguez delivered the second two-out hit of the game in the ensuing at-bat, a single to left center that scored a pair of runs and made it 5-3.
 
Davis retired the Javelinas in order in the sixth as part of her 12 straight outs, and then worked around a leadoff single in the top of the seventh with a fly out, ground out and strike out to close the door on Texas A&M-Kingsville to complete the split on the day.
 
Dominguez went 2-for-2 with three RBI and a walk in the game two victory, while Davis moved to 6-0 on the year with the win after allowing just three hits in her 5.2 innings of work. The freshman struck-out three and allowed just the single earned run on the solo homer in the top of the third.
 
UT Tyler completes their stretch of three doubleheaders against top competition in the Lone Star Conference with a 3-3 record, and dropped back into a four-way tie for second place in the LSC standings with a record of 14-4 in league play.
 
The Patriots stay at home for Sunday's doubleheader against Texas A&M International scheduled for an 11 a.m. start.