LAWTON, OKLA. - #8 UT Tyler scored five runs in their first two trips to the plate and then enacted the 9-0 run-rule of Cameron with two-run homers in the fifth and sixth innings on Wednesday afternoon.
The victory earned the Patriot a 2-1 series victory over the Aggies and will send UT Tyler into their home openers over the weekend against #22 Angelo State on a high note. Graduate student
Courtney Plocheck went 4-for-4, scoring three runs on four singles, and
Sam Schott and
JT Smith both hit the two-run homers to highlight a Patriot offense that totaled 12 hits.
Junior
Kaylee Davis went the complete six innings in the circle for UT Tyler, scattering just four hits, only one of which went for extra bases, and didn't allow a single free base.
Plocheck led off the ball game with a single and then scored on a two-out RBI double off the bat of
Michelle Arias to give UT Tyler an early lead in the bottom of the first. Freshman Mikayla Garcia made it 2-0 in the top of the second by scoring on a passed ball before Schott broke the game open with a two-RBI double with the bases loaded that scored a pair of Patriots.
Another passed ball scored
Cassidi Mullen and extended the UT Tyler advantage out to 5-0 after two trips to the plate for the Patriots.
Davis retired the next nine batters she faced in a row with the 5-0 lead in hand. Smith hit the first of the two-run homers for UT Tyler in the top of the fifth, followed by Schott's blast in the top of the sixth that enacted the run-rule after six innings of play.
Davis worked around her only jam of the afternoon in the bottom of the sixth to keep that run-rule in place and send the Patriots back to Tyler for their home opener in high spirits. The Venus, Texas native struckout three in her complete game effort.
Schott, Arias and Garcia all notched multi-hit efforts in the 9-0 victory. Schott totaled four RBI and a run, while Arias finished the afternoon with a pair of RBI as well.
The Patriots move to 10-5 on the year and 2-4 in Lone Star Conference play with the victory.
UT Tyler will welcome #22 Angelo State to Irwin Field on Saturday and Sunday for a three-game series. Saturday's doubleheader will get started at 1 p.m. and Sunday's single game a 1 p.m. first pitch as well.
