AUSTIN, TEXAS – Four different batters notched an RBI and the pitching duo of
Tatum Goff and
Shea O'Leary allowed just three hits to post win. 21 in a row for #3 UT Tyler.
The 4-1 victory over St. Edward's starts the final regular season road series for the Patriots and extends Division II softball's longest winning streak to 21 straight. UT Tyler registered 10 hits, and scored runs in the first, second, fifth and sixth innings to pad a 4-0 advantage over the Hilltoppers.
Goff moved to 29-0 on the year with 5.0 complete innings of work that featured seven strikeouts and just a single earned run. Goff gave way to O'Leary, who tossed perfect sixth and seventh innings, to record her third save of the year.
The Patriot offense totaled 10 hits for the game, nine of which were singles. Junior
Courtney Plocheck produced the lone extra-base hit for the club in the top of the first on a double to centerfield and came around to score the opening run of the ballgame on an RBI single from
Michelle Arias.
A sac bunt from senior
Amanda Marek in the top of the second with runners on second and third doubled the Patriot lead to 2-0 as pinch runner
Grace Davis scored. Goff cruised through the first and second innings in order, and then worked around a leadoff single for the Hilltoppers in the bottom of the third to keep the 2-0 lead in place.
The Rusk, Texas native stranded a runner at third in the fourth, and then benefited from a caught stealing attempt by catcher
Audrey Escamilla, who threw out the leadoff double in the inning at third base, in the fifth. Sophomore
Sam Schott plated the third run of the game for UT Tyler in the top half of that fifth inning on an RBI single to right that scored Marek.
Arias led off the sixth with a single, her second of the ballgame, and then scored on an RBI single from
Avery Farr to increase the lead to 4-0. O'Leary came on in relief of Goff after a single and walk began the bottom of the frame for the Hilltoppers, and limited the damage to just a single run with three straight outs.
O'Leary closed the door on win no. 21 in a row for the Patriots with a perfect seventh inning, keeping the 4-1 advantage in-tact.
Plocheck, Arias and Farr all finished with two hits for the game. Schott, Arias, Farr and Marek all notched an RBI.
Goff and O'Leary combined to allow just three hits.
UT Tyler moves to 44-4 on the year and 32-3 in Lone Star Conference play.
The Patriots will complete the 2023 regular season road schedule tomorrow afternoon with a doubleheader against St. Edward's scheduled for a 12 p.m. start.
