CONROE, TEXAS - #3 UT Tyler found production at the plate throughout the afternoon to finish 4-1 on the weekend at the DII Spring Invitational Kickoff in Conroe, Texas.
The Patriots fell 9-5 to #8 Central Oklahoma and then made quick work of Arkansas Tech in an 8-0 run-rule in five innings to cap off the day's action. UT Tyler had 10 hits in each ballgame, and got a complete game shutout from starting pitcher
Tatum Goff in the finale against Arkansas Tech.
Central Oklahoma scored seven runs in the first two frames to take control of UT Tyler's first game early before the Patriot offense started clicking in the sixth and seventh. Junior
Audrey Escamilla put the first run on the board for UT Tyler in the bottom of the first against Central Oklahoma with an RBI single to right.
That run answered a two-run top of the first from Central Oklahoma before the Bronchos seized control with five runs in the top of the second. That 7-1 lead was extended to 8-1 in the sixth by Central Oklahoma before a solo homer off the bat of
Caitlyn Wells got the UT Tyler offense going in the bottom half of the inning.
A two-out rally from that point forward that featured a
Maddie Melton RBI double and an RBI single from
JT Smith cut the deficit to just 8-4. Central Oklahoma added another run in the top of the seventh before an RBI single from
Hannah Kinkade in the bottom half of the inning brought the score to it's 9-5 final.
Smith, Wells and sophomore
Cassidi Mullen all totaled two hits in the game while
Kiana Pogroszewski highlighted the work in the circle for the Patrots with 5.2 innings of relief effort in her Patriot debut.
UT Tyler responded in a big way in their second game against Arkansas Tech, striking for five quick runs in the first two innings to cruise to the run-rule victory. Goff went all five innings and scattered three hits around three walks to secure the complete game shutout.
Sophomore
Maddie Melton hit a three-run homer with two outs on the board to get the scoring started in the first after three Patriot hits in the opening frame. Mullen and junior
Courtney Plocheck hit back-to-back RBI singles with two outs once again in the second inning to extend the advantage to 5-0 after two complete innings.
Goff led off the fourth with a no-doubt homer to rightfield to provide her own offensive support at the plate, and then watched as sophomore
Sam Schott drove in a pair of runs to put the eight-run run-rule into effect heading into the fifth. Goff finished off the game and the weekend with a pair of flyouts to strand runners on second and third with the 8-0 victory in tact.
The 2023 LSC Preseason Pitcher of the Year honoree completed her first three appearances with a 3-0 record and a 0.89 ERA in 15.2 innings of work.
Mullen added a second multi-hit effort and three RBI on the homer in the Arkansas Tech win while Plocheck and Schott both added a pair of hits.
UT Tyler will return to Tyler and prepare for their home opener against Western Oregon over the weekend. The Patriots will open play at Irwin Ballpark with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. followed by a single game on Sunday morning at 11 a.m.
