TYLER, TEXAS – No. 1 seeded UT Tyler run-ruled no. 8 seeded West Texas A&M by a 10-0 final tally after five of innings of play to advance to tomorrow evening's semifinals of the 2022 Lone Star Conference Softball Championship.
 
Sophomore Tatum Goff tossed a no-hitter in the winning effort for the Patriots, needing just 53 pitches while allowing just a single baserunner to help the program to it's first postseason victory as a Division II institution. Goff hit the first batter of the ballgame she faced, and then struckout four batters and relied on an outstanding defensive effort by the Patriots to retire the next 14 batters she faced in order.
 
UT Tyler moves on to tomorrow's second semifinal game scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start against the winner of the no. 4 seed Angelo State and no. 5 seed Texas A&M-Commerce quarterfinal game. That contest will take place tomorrow at 1:30 p.m.
 
The Patriots recorded eight hits in the effort, and capped off their first Lone Star Conference Championship appearance with a seven-run bottom half of the fourth inning to enact the run-rule of the defending Division II National Champions. Those hits came off the bats of seven different Patriots as the entire order for UT Tyler produced quality at-bats throughout the evening.
 
The UT Tyler defense, which routinely backed up Goff's effort in the circle with solid defensive play throughout the contest, turned a double play after the leadoff hit batter of the ballgame. Goff helped herself out by generating an early lead with an RBI single in the bottom half of the first, a lead which was quickly doubled on an ensuing Audrey Escamilla sacrifice fly on the next at-bat to make it 2-0.
 
Sophomore Amanda Marek kept the early momentum going with a no-doubt solo home run to leftfield in the bottom of the second to make it 3-0 in favor of UT Tyler.
 
The Patriot offense capped off the evening with a seven-spot in the bottom of the fourth that featured four hits, including a pair of RBI doubles from Mak Dominguez and Courtney Plocheck. Senior Shannon Klaus also chipped in the majority of the damage with a two-RBI single that made it 6-0.
 
Plocheck then cashed in Klaus for the fourth run of the inning on a double down the leftfield line, and then scored on a wild-pitch later in the inning to make it 8-0. Escamilla drove in her second run of the ballgame on another sacrifice fly to make it 9-0, and then Simon plated the final run of the frame after a fielding error by the Lady Buffs to make it 10-0.
 
Senior Ashley Perez finished 2-for-2 at the plate to lead the Patriots, while Klaus went 1-for-3 with a pair of RBI to join Escamilla with multi-RBI efforts.
 
UT Tyler will now shift their attention to Saturday evening's semifinal match game against the winner of the Angelo State-Texas A&M-Commerce quarterfinal meeting.