SAN ANGELO, TEXAS – UT Tyler put up a tremendous fight on Sunday afternoon, but Angelo State put together a late rally to put them in front and earn a spot in the NCAA Super Regionals.
Today it was the Patriots who took the early advantage, as
Kaston Mason and
Austin Ochoa would drop in a pair of singles before
Lane Hutchinson came up clutch with an opposite field single to plate Mason and give the Patriots a 1-0 lead.
Head coach
Brent Porche would go with
Logan Henderson as his starter, and he answered the bell with a big first inning. The Rams placed a runners on the corners with just one out, but Henderson struck out one and forced the lineout to right field for a scoreless frame.
The Patriots kept it rolling in the second, as
Adrian Minjares led off with a single. That chased the Rams starter from the game, and two more singles from
Carson Cox and
Edward Ortiz loaded the bases.
Jordan Gochenour earned the hit by pitch to drive home a run, and then
Ethan Bedgood added another RBI on a sacrifice fly to run the score to 3-0.
The Rams would get to Henderson in the second, as they posted an RBI double to right center for their first run. However, he would bounce back with a lineout and a groundout to end the threat.
Henderson's day was only just beginning, as he worked a 1-2-3 third with a strikeout. He would allow a leadoff walk in the fourth, but again he got a big punchout and a pair of popouts.
The fifth inning would be his final full inning of the day, as he worked around a single with a lineout, flyout, and another strikeout to end the inning and keep the Patriots out in front.
In the top half of the sixth, the Patriots would tack on their fourth run of the game, as
Carson Cox ripped a double to left field to put himself into scoring position. Gochenour would step into the box with two outs, and promptly rip a double down the line for an RBI.
For Gochenour, that now officially gives him the UT Tyler single season record for doubles with 23 in one year.
In the bottom half of the sixth, an error and a single put runners on the corner with no outs, and Henderson's day would be done after a tremendous outing and a new season high in innings pitched.
Julio Garcia would step into the frame, but an RBI double and a bunt single would give the Rams a pair of runs before Garcia got a huge strikeout to end the inning.
The bottom half of the seventh proved to be the difference in the game, as the Rams would drive home four runs in the inning. A single to right field scored the first run and would force Garcia from the game as
Dylan Blomquist took over. Timely hitting came for the Rams on a fielder's choice and a squeeze bunt plated two more before a final RBI single gave them the fourth run of the inning.
In the top of the eighth, the Patriots refused to lay down as Cox ripped a double to left center field with one out. Two batters later, Gochenour drew a walk, and then Mason came through with a clutch RBI single up the middle to cut the lead down to just two.
However, the Rams battled back with another run in the home half to bring the lead back to three. That led the Patriots to the top of the ninth, where they would reach with a two out single, but were unable to get the rally going and would fall by a score of 8-5.
In the contest, four different Patriots posted a multi-hit game, as
Carson Cox went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three runs scored to led the team. Four different players picked up an RBI in the contest, as
Jordan Gochenour led the way with two.
For the Patriots, it completes a tremendous season as they post their most wins of the Division II era, make their first ever NCAA Division II Tournament appearance, and win their first ever game in the NCAA Tournament as a Division II program.
