LUBBOCK, TEXAS – UT Tyler saw the bats cool off just a little bit on Sunday, and the Lubbock Christian bats caught fire on Sunday as they swept the doubleheader and made it a 2-2 split over the four game series.
GAME ONE
UT Tyler took the lead in the top half of the first as
Austin Ochoa continues his tear at the plate by driving in yet another run with an RBI single. That gave way for
Brayden Freeman to head to the mound, but the Lubbock Christian bats were ready and pounced with two quick runs to take the lead right back.
Those two runs were the first of four over the first two innings as the Chaps got out to a strong start at the plate. In the top of the third,
Carson Cox looked to spark the UT Tyler offense as he barreled up a pitch and drove it over the right field wall for his first homer of the year and cut the lead down to just two.
In the bottom half of the inning, the Chaps would answer right back with a solo homer of their own, but Freeman shut down the offense to hold them to just one run.
After a scoreless top half of the fourth,
Hayden Collins stepped to the mound in relief, and he was tasked with holding off the hot bats from the Chaps. After getting a strikeout to start the inning, two straight walks followed to put a pair on. Another strikeout followed, but the throw to first got away and both runners came around to score. That was followed by a two run homer to left field and suddenly the Chaps were up 9-2.
In the bottom half of the fifth, the Chaps would tack on three more runs thanks to a single and a walk followed by a wild pitch, triple, and an RBI groundout. That brought in
Nathan Holmes in relief, and he would get the final two outs of the inning.
In the top half of the sixth, the Patriots needed a big rally, and started to get it as
Bryce Jewell earned a pinch hit walk. A groundout and a strikeout followed, but
Dylan Blomquist stepped in and delivered his first career home run over the right field wall for two runs.
Nathan Carriere pinch hit himself, and he made it back to back home runs and cut the lead down to seven.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Chaps would add one final run to the game and come away with a 13-5 final score to cool off the UT Tyler bats and put an end to the eight game winning streak.
Carson Cox finished the game 2-3 with two runs and an RBI to go with his home run.
Austin Ochoa finished 2-2 with an RBI and two walks.
Brayden Freeman falls to 1-1 on the year after going three innings and allowing five runs around three walks and six hits.
GAME TWO
The second game of the day saw Lubbock Christian strike first as they got to starter
Nolan Cox for a single run in the bottom of the first thanks to three straight singles. However, the Patriots offense got back to work as they answered that run with two of their own. Ochoa led off with a single, and back to back doubles from
Tommy van de Sanden and
Lane Hutchinson gave the Patriots a 2-1 lead.
The Lubbock Christian bats would stay hot in the second however, and they plated six runs thanks to an error and a walk followed by a single and then three consecutive home runs to run out to a 7-2 lead after two.
Cox would come back out in the third, and bounced back with a pair of strikeouts and a groundout around a single to shut down the Chaps offense.
After a scoreless top half of the fourth,
Miles Clack stepped to the mound in relief of Cox as he took his turn at shutting down the Chaps. The inning started with a pair of walks and a hit by pitch, and a big two out double played all three runners and the Chaps were out to a 10-2 lead.
The top of the fifth saw Hutchinson deliver a solo shot to left center field, and both
Carson Cox and
Jordan Gochenour would come up with a pair of singles with two outs to put the pressure on, but a groundout would end the threat.
In the top half of the sixth, two singles from
Adrian Minjares and van de Sanden put a pair of runners on with one out, and Hutchinson delivered again with a three run blast to right center.
That homer was followed by a double from
Kaston Mason and another single from Cox, and then Gochenour would draw a walk with two outs to load the bases. However, that is where the rally would end as a groundout ended the threat.
The Chaps would tack on two more runs in the bottom half of the sixth, and the Patriots were unable to get anything going in the seventh as they would fall by a score of 12-6.
Lane Hutchinson would finish the day 3-3 with 5 RBI after his two home run effort.
Tommy van de Sanden went 2-3 himself with two runs scored.
Nolan Cox took his first loss of the season after going three innings and allowing seven runs with two walks and six strikeouts.
Next up for UT Tyler will be a trip back home as they will host #3 Angelo State in a four game set inside Irwin Field. That series is set to begin on Friday night at 7 p.m.
