TYLER, TEXAS - #25 UT Tyler could not find the bats on Friday night to answer the early offense from Texas A&M International as they fell 6-1 to open up the four game series.
 
The Patriots handed Dylan Blomquist the ball to start the contest, and the Dustdevils wasted no time in getting their offense started.
 
Blomquist got a quick groundout to start and then got a swinging strikeout, but the pitch was wide of his catcher and the runner was able to reach first. From there, the Dustdevils drew a walk and a single to plate their first run before Blomquist got a clutch strikeout. However, two straight singles would plate another pair of runs to make the lead 3-0 after just a half inning.
 
From there, Blomquist locked in, facing the minimum over the next two innings while striking out a pair to keep the Patriots in it. In the fourth, he got three groundouts around a single to keep the Dustdevils off the board.
 
Texas A&M International would scratch one more run off of Blomquist in the fifth, driving a sacrifice fly to right field that plated their fourth run of the night. He came back out for the sixth, and again shut down the Dustdevils with his fifth strikeout of the night to keep the Patriots within range.
 
For the Patriots offense, their first eight hitters would go down in order before Blake LaBuda broke up the perfect game in the bottom half of the third with a single.
 
In the fourth, the Patriots got one of their best opportunities of the night, as Ethan Bedgood led off with a hit by pitch and Austin Ochoa pulled a double down the line to put two on with no outs. The Patriots however could not scratch across a run as they continued to trail.
 
In the sixth, the Patriots offense again put a pair on with no outs as Connor Clark drew a walk and Bedgood singled, but the Patriots left them stranded yet again.
 
In the seventh inning, the Patriots handed the ball over to Logan Henderson to begin the inning, but three walks and a wild pitch that scored a run would spell an early end to his evening. That meant Kolby Parker would take over, and after a walk to his first batter, the Dustdevils plated their final run of the night on a fielder's choice RBI to make it 6-0.
 
In the home half of the inning, Kaston Mason led off with a single before Hayden Clearman drew a hit by pitch two batters later. A passed ball moved the runners up, and Blake LaBuda drove in the Patriots lone run with a sacrifice fly to right field to make it 6-1.
 
Over the last two innings, Parker would be near perfect, picking up three strikeouts while allowing just one hit to keep the Dustdevils offense at bay.
 
In the eighth, the Patriots offense put a pair of runners on base with one out, but could not find the clutch hit to break open the scoring. In the ninth inning, they went down in order, giving Texas A&M International the win.
 
For the night, Dylan Blomquist went six full innings and allowed four runs off of seven hits while striking out six. The loss is his first of the year, moving him to 2-1.
 
In relief, Parker went 2.2 innings while allowing just one hit, one walk, and striking out three.
 
The Patriots offense scattered four hits on the night, with no player having a multi-hit game. Blake LaBuda drove home the only run of the night for the Patriots, plating Kaston Mason with an RBI sacrifice fly.
 
The Patriots will now look to bounce back on Saturday as they host the Dustdevils for a pair of seven inning contests.
 
Game one is scheduled for a 3 p.m. start with game two beginning approximately 30 minutes after game one.