TYLER, TEXAS – For the first time in the series, both UT Tyler and #2 Angelo State got their offenses going against one another, but the Rams were able to produce some late runs to complete the series split.
The Patriots got some early pressure on the Rams pitching in the bottom of the first as
Carson Cox led off with a single up the middle. He would advance to second on a groundout and to third on a passed ball but was left stranded from there.
In the top half of the second, starter
Nolan Cox got some big help from his defense to keep the Rams bats at bay. After a leadoff single, Cox picked off the runner to wipe the slate. Two more singles followed to put men on first and second. The fourth batter would single to right field, but
Jordan Gochenour scooped it and threw a laser to home plate to get the man trying to score. Just one batter later, another single would head to right field, but Gochenour again came up with the hose and got the Patriots out of the inning.
The Rams would strike first in the third, as they barreled a pitch over the left field wall for a three run blast in the third inning to lead 3-0. A fourth run would follow in the top of the fifth after some small ball and a wild pitch, and the Rams were up 4-0 through four and a half innings.
After being stifled at the plate for the first four innings, the Patriots needed offense in the fifth inning, and they kicked off the inning with a pair of singles from
Lane Hutchinson and
Tommy van de Sanden before Cox came up with an RBI single.
Tres Thomas would follow with a single of his own to load the bases, and
Dylan Blomquist delivered his own pinch hit single to drive in a run.
Austin Ochoa had an RBI fielder's choice, and after a
Kaston Mason walk,
Ethan Bedgood drove in two more Patriots runs to take the lead 5-4 in the bottom half of the fifth.
The Patriots arms held off #2 Angelo State in the sixth, but an RBI single tied up the game after just two batters in the seventh. Two batters later, the Rams cashed in their second three run homer of the day, and they took an 8-5 lead. That lead extended out to 9-5 in the top half of the eighth after an RBI hit by pitch.
In the home half of the eighth inning, Ochoa led off with a solo blast to left field, but the Patriots couldn't find any more runs to cut into the deficit. The Rams would add one final run in the ninth inning, and UT Tyler would go down in order to end the game.
Carson Cox finished the day 2-5 with a run and RBI. Both
Austin Ochoa and
Ethan Bedgood finished with two RBI.
Travis Onisto got his first loss of the season as he went 1.1 innings allowing four runs on three hits.
Next up for UT Tyler will be a long road trip to South Texas to take on Texas A&M International in a four game set. That series will begin at 2 p.m. on Friday and is followed by doubleheader Saturday starting at 12 p.m. On Sunday, the series is set to conclude with a 1 p.m. start.
