TYLER, TEXAS – It was another pair of pitcher's duels on Saturday, and both UT Tyler and #2 Angelo State were able to take a game each in the doubleheader.
 
GAME ONE
 
Kade Bragg and Cade Maclin would get the ball to start for their respective teams in game one of the doubleheader, and just like in game one on Friday, they would settle themselves into a pitcher's duel early on.  
 
Maclin would set the Rams offense down in order in both the top of the first and second innings, adding in four strikeouts. For Bragg, the Patriots had some luck with a walk and a single over the first two innings, but neither time they were able to move the runner around.
 
The third inning saw the first glimmer of success for the Rams as they earned a walk and a hit by pitch to put two runners on with one out, but Maclin got a huge pickoff at second and then Adrian Minjares would catch a man trying to steal second to end the threat.
 
In the top half of the fourth, a walk got the leadoff man on before being moved to third after a sacrifice bunt and a steal. The Rams took advantage of the situation, and knocked a single through the right side to take the 1-0 lead. After another walk, Hayden Collins would step in to relieve Maclin, and he walked a pair of batters to make it a 2-0 game.
 
In the bottom half, Tres Thomas led off with a walk and was able to make his way to third after a groundout and a wild pitch, but the Patriots couldn't bring him home. That offense continued to show signs of scoring a run in the fifth, as Lane Hutchinson reached on an error and Tommy van de Sanden walked before both runners moved to scoring position after a groundout. However, the Patriots couldn't bring around the runs and remained down 2-0.
 
In the top half of the seventh, the Rams loaded up the bases with their first three hitters before an RBI single scored a run. A fielder's choice followed, and the Rams were up 4-0.
 
In the bottom half of the inning, the Patriots couldn't get their bats going, and they would fall by a 4-0 final score.
 
In game one, Lane Hutchinson had the only hit for the Patriots while Tres Thomas had a pair of walks.
 
Cade Maclin made his first start for UT Tyler and went 3.1 innings while allowing just one hit and two earned runs while striking out four.
 
GAME TWO
 
The second game of the doubleheader would be yet another low scoring affair, as both teams continued to get strong pitching from the mound.
 
Braxton Pearson and Miles Clack would be the pair to square off on the mound, and they continued the trend of low scoring baseball.
 
In the top half of the first inning, the Rams looked to jump out to an early lead after their leadoff man made it to third after a wlak and a pair of groundouts, but Clack forced a popup to shortstop to end the threat.
 
In the bottom half, the Patriots got a double from Thomas down the left field line just inside the bag, but he would be left stranded. A similar story came in the second inning for the Rams, as they also got a double but left him stranded.
 
In the bottom half of the second, it was Ethan Bedgood who took matters into his own hands and drove a ball just over the left field wall for a home run and a 1-0 UT Tyler lead.
 
Clack kept delivering his best stuff over the next couple of innings, allowing just one hit while facing the minimum in the third and fourth. That trend would continue into the fifth inning as he made it eight consecutive batters retired while working a three up, three down frame.
 
In the bottom half of the fifth, the Patriots would tack on that all important insurance run as Hutchinson led off the inning by reaching on an error. A wild pitch got away and he would make his way to third base with a huge hustle play, and then Carson Cox came up big with an infield single deep in the hole at shortstop to make it 2-0.
 
Clack stayed comfortable on the mound for the sixth, and made it 11 consecutive batters retired after another 1-2-3 inning.
 
Head coach Brent Porche sent him right back out for the seventh inning, and the Rams tried to get whispers of a rally going. A leadoff double put a man on second, and he moved his way to third on a flyout to right field. Another flyout to center field wouldn't be deep enough to score the run, but an infield single cut the lead in half. Clack, needing just one out to get the complete game win, caught the runner leaning towards second and was able to kickstart a bigtime pickoff that would seal the deal for UT Tyler.
 
Four Patriots earned the four hits in game number two as Cox, Thomas, Bedgood, and Kaston Mason all found their way into the hit column. Bedgood and Cox would each add the only two RBI of the game for the Patriots.
 
Miles Clack gets the win in his first start of the season as he goes seven full innings while scattering just four hits and one run and striking out six batters.
 
UT Tyler now gets set for the all-important game four on Sunday afternoon as they will look to take the series against #12 Angelo State.