TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler baseball has found their rhythm, and it was put on full display on Sunday afternoon as they rolled to a third consecutive win over #25 West Texas A&M and a commanding 3-0 series lead.
The Buffs would outhit the Patriots on the day, but starter
Nolan Cox and the rest of the pitching staff did a tremendous job of spacing out those hits and not allowing any big rallies.
Cox allowed a leadoff single to start the game, but got three straight flyouts to end the inning. In the second, he walked the first batter, but he was erased thanks to an
Adrian Minjares missile that caught him stealing. After a groundout, the Buffs struck again with a single, but Minjares answered the call yet again with a bigtime throw to second to get the out.
In the top of the third, the Buffs would finally scratch out a run, as they led off with a single and a steal of second to get into scoring position. Cox delivered with a strikeout and a flyout, but an RBI single would plate the runner.
It didn't take long for the Patriots to bounce back, just as they have done all series long.
Carson Cox led off with a double, but two straight outs led to
Jordan Gochenour at the plate. Gochenour singled to second, and the Patriots had runners on the corners.
That let head coach
Brent Porche to put on the double steal, and Cox dashed for home and slid in with a bang-bang play. He was called out initially, but a replay review flipped the call and he was safe with a steal of home.
That seemed to flip the momentum of the game, as
Kaston Mason singled to right field to put two on.
Lane Hutchinson followed with a deep double to right center field to drive them both home, and
Ethan Bedgood would tack on the fourth run of the inning with an RBI single to center field.
A quick top of the fourth from Cox gave the chance back to the Patriots offense, and they added three more huge runs thanks to
Carson Cox again starting the rally with a single. He came around to score on a Gochenour single, and a wild pitch plated Carriere.
Austin Ochoa laced a double two batters later, and Gochenour stepped on home to solidify a big 7-1 lead for the Patriots.
After a leadoff double from the Buffs in the fifth, Cox induced a popup and then a strikeout, but the lead runner stole third to put the pressure on. A hit by pitch followed, and Cox was pulled for reliever
Julio Garcia. The Buffs connected on an RBI single, but Garcia was able to end the inning with a lineout to limit the damage.
Garcia marched back out for the sixth, and worked a quick inning around a walk that featured two groundouts and a strikeout. In the seventh, he induced two straight flyouts before allowing a single with two outs. The Buffs took advantage and launched a two run blast over the left field wall, but Garcia calmed the seas with another flyout.
The Patriots again answered the call on offense in the seventh as Carriere singled and then quickly stole second with one out. He moved to third on a wild pitch, and then would later score on a wild pitch to move the lead out to 8-4.
Garcia hit his first batter in the eighth, and after a flyout allowed a hit to put two on with one out. He again came up big, getting a huge strikeout and a flyout to end any threat.
He would turn the ball over to
Garrett Arredondo in the ninth inning, who quickly got ahead with a groundout. The next batter would single through the left side, but Arredondo forced the 6-4-3 double play to end the inning and the game.
Gochenour, Hutchinson, and Cox each totaled two hits in the game, while Hutchinson dropped in two RBI and a run scored. Cox, Carriere, and Gochenour each scored two runs in the contest, and Carriere and Gochenour also had two walks.
Nolan Cox moved to 4-1 on the year after going 4.2 innings while allowing just two runs on six hits. He added in three strikeouts and just one walk.
UT Tyler now gets the chance at a series sweep tomorrow afternoon against #25 West Texas A&M. That game is set to start at 1 p.m. at Irwin Field.
