AUSTIN, TEXAS – UT Tyler baseball battled until the end of the game on Sunday, but #12 St. Edward's took a narrow victory on their way to claiming the series and giving the Patriots their first series loss of the season.
 
Nolan Cox got the ball to start the game for UT Tyler, and the Hilltoppers would grab the early lead as they plated four runs in the bottom of the fourth. Two walks and a single loaded the bases, and a hit by pitch plated the first run. Two more singles plated the next three before Cox settled down and got three straight outs to end the inning and limit the damage.
 
Neither team plated a run in the second or third as Cox worked around a pair of singles in the second to retire the side and then struck out two hitters around a single in the third inning to keep the Patriots offense well within reach.
 
That Patriots offense got themselves going in the top of the fourth inning, as both Jordan Gochenour and Austin Ochoa reached on a walk and a single before Ethan Bedgood drove home the first run with a single.
 
The next run followed as Lane Hutchinson added in an RBI fielder's choice, and a wild pitch two batters later scored the third run of the inning. Kaston Mason added in his own RBI single, and suddently the game was tied with only one out. The scoring kept rolling as two batters later Carson Cox singled to left field to bring home two more runs and give the Patriots the 6-4 lead.
 
In the bottom of the inning, the Hilltoppers would respond with their own run as they singled and doubled in back to back hitters with two outs. That would cut the lead down to just one for the Patriots after four innings.
 
After a scoreless fifth for the Patriots offense, Cade Maclin came on in relief in the bottom half of the inning. After a groundout to start, three straight batters reached base with a single and two walks and that meant Harrison Lee would step into the game. A walk and a sacrifice fly gave the Hilltoppers the lead, and three straight hitters reached base after two hit-by-pitches and another walk for two more runs. Julio Garcia was called into action, and after allowing another walk that scored a run, he struck out the final hitter of the inning. That big inning gave the Hilltoppers a 10-6 lead heading into the sixth.
 
Down but not out, the Patriotos offense went back to work in the sixth, as Tommy van de Sanden and Gochenour reached on a walk and a single. Two wild pitches allowed van de Sanden to score, and Ochoa delivered a big RBI single through the left side to get the Patriots within just two at 10-8.
 
Garcia worked a scoreless bottom of the sixth inning to allow the Patriots to get back out there, and Hutchinson led off with a single before Adrian Minjares doubled down the left field line to plate him from first and cut the lead down to just one run.
 
AJ Irvin jumped in to pitch the seventh inning, and after a leadoff walk, erased the runner with a double play before getting a groundout to end the inning. The Patriots would go down in order in the top of the eighth, and Irvin went back out for the bottom half of the inning.
 
In that bottom half, the leadoff hitter reached on an error and then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Garrett Arredondo stepped to the mound to take over the inning, and got a flyout and a lineout to end the inning and give the Patriots one last shot.
 
Bedgood led off the ninth with a single, and two batters later Minjares singled to put two runners on. A flyout to right field moved the runner to third, and Nathan Carriere walked to load the bases, but a strikeout ended the inning and the Patriots chances.
 
Minjares and Mason each had 3-for-4 days at the plate with a run scored and an RBI. Ochoa and Bedgood each went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Carson Cox had two RBI.
 
Nolan Cox got the no decision after going four full innings and allowing five runs on eight hits. He struck out four and allowed two walks.
 
UT Tyler now gets a chance to head back home to Tyler and get some rest before hosting RV West Texas A&M for a four game series at Irwin Field. That series will kick off on March 24^th at 7 p.m.