TYLER, TEXAS – #25 UT Tyler baseball will take the series split after a huge effort from a pair of pitchers kept the Texas A&M International bats quiet and the Patriots offense scratched together a pair of runs to take a 2-1 win.
 
Rawley Hector got the start for the Patriots on the day, and he looked nearly flawless in his efforts throughout the contest. He would work around a double in the first inning with three groundouts, and in the second inning he again posted a zero on the scoreboard after working around a single and a walk.
 
The third inning saw the Dustdevils finally break through on Hector, as two singles and an error allowed them to take a 1-0 lead. However, the Patriots offense had the response, quickly biting right back as Jordan Ardoin led off the inning with a single. He would move to second on a wild pitch and then to third as Connor Clark dropped a sacrifice bunt. That brought up Kyle Atkinson, and he delivered a deep line drive to left field for the sacrifice fly and tie the game back up at 1-1.
 
Hector came right back out for the fourth and posted his first two strikeouts of the game after a leadoff walk and then ended the frame on a fielder's choice. In the fifth, he worked his first 1-2-3 frame to continue his efforts on the mound.
 
The Dustdevils had a big chance in the sixth, picking up a one out single before a steal and a wild pitch had a runner on third. Hector settled in and delivered two straight strikeouts to strand the runner. In his final inning of work, he worked another 1-2-3 frame to continue to silence the Dustdevils hitters.
 
With Hector dealing on the mound, the Patriots offense would continue to put hitters on, but could not find a way to break open the game with another run. That changed in the seventh, as Ardoin led off the inning with a single to left. Clark would reach on a fielder's choice, but Atkinson lined out to make it two outs with one on.
 
That brought up Lane Hutchinson, who singled through the right side to put a pair on. Stepping to the plate next was Ethan Bedgood, and he continued to tack on to his UT Tyler Career RBI lead with a single up the middle that gave the Patriots a huge 2-1 lead heading into the final two frames.
 
Freshman Josh Pelfrey took over for Hector in the eighth inning, and he got a big strikeout after a leadoff single to begin his effort. He got a lineout from his next hitter before the Dustdevils singled again to put two on with two out. However, Pelfrey delivered another clutch strikeout to end the inning and keep the Patriots in front.
 
In the ninth, Pelfrey looked even better, working a 1-2-3 inning to shut down the Dustdevils and pick up his first career save.
 
For the day, Hector went 7.0 innings to move to 2-2 on the year while allowing just five hits and one unearned run. He issued only two walks and struck out five.
 
Pelfrey threw two innings and allowed two hits but posted a pair of strikeouts and allowed no runs.
 
For the Patriots offense, Hutchinson, Kaston Mason, and Ardoin each had two hits on the day, while Ardoin and Clark scored the two runs.
 
#25 UT Tyler will now prepare for a four game series against Texas A&M-Kingsville on the road next weekend. That series is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start on Friday night.