CANYON, TEXAS – UT Tyler will take a doubleheader split on Saturday after an eventful game one win and a late comeback from #4 West Texas A&M to take away game two.
 
GAME ONE
 
The Patriots started as fast as possible in the first inning of game one, as they tacked on eight runs in the top half of the inning. The Patriots got a two run blast from Lane Hutchinson to start the scoring, and later added another run as Blake LaBuda drew an RBI walk. Connor Clark dropped in a sacrifice fly before Jordan Ardoin doubled down the line to drive home another. In the next at-bat, LaBuda came around to score on a wild pitch before Nathan Carriere singled home Ardoin to make it 7-0 in the Patriots favor.
 
Two batters later, Ethan Menard drilled a double to center field, plating Carriere for the second time in the inning and making it 8-0.
 
Patriots starter Garrett Arredondo provided a 1-2-3 bottom half of the first, and the Patriots rewarded him in the second as Austin Ochoa belted a solo home run to left center to make it 9-0.
 
However, the Buffs did not go away quietly, as they led off the inning with a double, single and a walk before Arredondo was lifted. That brought in Logan Henderson, but the Buffs kept on rolling with a walk and a grand slam to cut in to the Patriots lead. After a single and a wild pitch, the Buffs found another run with a huge double to make it 9-6 after two.
 
In the top of the third, Ethan Bedgood brought home another pair of Patriots runs with a clutch two out single through the left side that plated both Hutchinson and Carriere. The next batter was Ochoa, and he connected on his second home run of the day to make it 13-6.
 
Bryson Adair would come on in relief of Henderson in the third, but again the Buffs found their way back into the contest. They got a trio of singles around a fielder's choice to start the inning, before a hit by pitch plated a run. The Buffs would tack on five more runs with a trio of doubles and a sacrifice fly as the lead was cut down to 13-12 after three innings.
 
After the offensive showcase over the first three innings, the two teams went cold at the plate with neither team scoring run over the next two. In the top of the sixth, the Patriots drove home two more as LaBuda picked up an RBI single and Kaston Mason plated a run with a double play. The Buffs yet again had the answer in the home half, picking up an RBI on a double and then a single through the middle to plate two more with two outs to tie up the game at 15 each.
 
In the final inning of the contest, the Patriots turned to small ball, as Ardoin led off with a single. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and then came around to score on a clutch single from Menard into right field.
 
In the home half of the seventh, Nick Niebur continued his efforts on the hill. The Buffs drew a leadoff walk, but Niebur got an out on a sacrifice bunt and then a weak grounder to first to get two outs. In the final batter of the contest, Niebur struck him out swinging to finish off a dramatic 16-15 win.
 
Six Patriots totaled at least two hits, with Carriere, Hutchinson, and Bedgood each picking up three each. Five Patriots had at least two RBI, with Austin Ochoa leading with three.
 
GAME TWO
 
For as offensive as game one was, game two proved to be the exact opposite in the early going. Patriots starter Josh Pelfrey looked strong, working around a pair of singles in the first to keep the Buffs off the board.
 
In the second, the Patriots struck first, as Austin Ochoa and Kaston Mason each led off with singles and moved up to second and third with a throw trying to get Ochoa out at third. Jordan Ardoin was next at the plate, and he reached on an error at first base that plated both Ochoa and Mason for a 2-0 lead.
 
From that point on, Pelfrey was lights out, racking up five strikeouts over the next four innings, including striking out the side in the bottom of the fourth to keep the Buffs completely off the board over his five innings of work.
 
In the sixth, the Patriots went to the bullpen in Nash Villegas, but the Buffs found their offense to get back in it. Three straight singles and a walk plated a run, before a huge grand slam gave them a 5-2 lead. Julio Garcia came on to close out the inning, and the Buffs tacked on three more runs with a double and a single up the middle to make it 8-2.
 
The Patriots came up to the plate in the seventh needing six runs to keep the game going, but went down in order as the Buffs sealed the huge comeback.
 
The Patriots scattered six hits on the day, with Carriere, Hutchinson, and Hayden Clearman each picking up a double.
 
Josh Pelfrey finished the day going five innings, scattering five hits and allowing no runs. He struck out six hitters and gave up just one walk.
 
UT Tyler will now look for the series split on Sunday morning as they face off the Buffs beginning at 10 a.m.