TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler baseball moves ahead to 1-0 in the series after a 4-3 win on Thursday night to kick off their four game series with Eastern New Mexico.
Rawley Hector went 6.1 innings in a gem while
Connor Clark tacked on two runs and two RBI give the Patriots the insurance they needed to take the win.
Starter
Rawley Hector gave the Patriots all they needed over his 6.1 innings of work on the night. Through three innings, he allowed just one baserunner as he cut down nine of the first 10 hitters he faced on the night.
The Patriots offense backed him up early, tacking on a run in the third. Clark reached on a walk and
Nathan Carriere singled up the middle, before an error on a pickoff throw moved both runners up to second and third. Two batters later, it was
Ethan Bedgood delivering a sacrifice fly to put the Patriots up 1-0.
In the fourth, Hector faced one of his biggest challenges as a single and then a fielder's choice combined with an error put two runners into scoring position with no outs. He buckled down and struck out the next two, and then got the groundout to end the inning.
The Greyhounds finally got on the board in the fifth after two singles and a sacrifice bunt to tie up the game. However, the Patriot answered with another run, as Clark again game around to score on a sacrifice fly from Bedgood to make it 2-1. That sacrifice fly from Bedgood also ties the UT Tyler career record.
Another 1-2-3 inning from Hector ensued, and the Patriots offense connected yet again as Clark doubled to left center field as the Greyhounds failed to make the diving catch and both
Drew Schmidt and
Kaston Mason came around to score to make it 4-1.
Hector would tack on one more out in the seventh before being lifted from the contest. That brought on
Bryson Adair in relief, who allowed two Greyhounds runs but kept the Patriots out in front with six outs left.
In the eighth, Adair got a weak groundout before posting a hit by pitch and a walk. He battled back with a groundout and flyout to end the inning with a zero on the board. In the ninth, he worked a 1-2-3 inning to end the game with his second save of the year.
Hector finished the contest with 6.1 innings pitched, two earned runs, one walk, and three strikeouts.
Connor Clark was the offensive hero, going 2-for-2 with two runs, two RBI, and a double as he accounted for all four UT Tyler runs on the night.
The Patriots now continue the series on Friday afternoon as they start a doubleheader at 3 p.m.
