TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler baseball fell to Southern Arkansas on Tuesday night by a score of 9-3 as the Muleriders used a late push to pull away and hand the Patriots the loss in their only non-conference game of the year.
The Muleriders got a quick run in the first, as a one out walk followed by a double down the left field line gave them a 1-0 lead off of starter
Brayden Freeman.
Freeman battled back by facing the minimum in the second, inducing a clutch double play after a leadoff single. In the third, the Muleriders loaded the bases with two outs after a single and two walks, but Freeman got out of the jam with a huge strikeout and end his afternoon with just one run allowed.
The Patriots offense struggled early, as they had just two hits through four innings, both of which coming from the bat of
Ethan Bedgood. The Patriots put together a big effort in the fifth, as
Austin Ochoa reached on an error and
Connor Clark later walked. That brought up
Nathan Carriere, who singled to left field. Ochoa rounded third and headed for the plate, but a good throw from left field got him at the plate and the Patriots remained scoreless.
Following the big play on defense, the Muleriders tacked on their second run of the game in the sixth. A hit by pitch and a walk started the inning, and an error loaded the bases with just one out. The next batter flew out to left field for a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.
The Patriots got another pair on in the sixth, as Bedgood again singled and
Kyle Atkinson later added another, but the Patriots could not plate the run with two outs.
The Muleriders added a solo home run in the seventh, and the Patriots finally got on the board as
Kaston Mason led off with a double before
Connor Clark added a single and Carriere reached on a fielder's choice to make it 3-1 after seven.
The inning that busted the game open for the Muleriders was in the eighth, as they scored six runs on five hits. After a leadoff strikeout, a walk, single and double led to the first run, and a two RBI single plated two more before the second out. Two hit by pitches, two singles, and a wild pitch plated three more runs to close out the inning.
UT Tyler would battle back with three straight singles before a fielder's choice at the plate, and then an RBI single from
Jordan Ardoin scored another run.
Hayden Clearman would pinch hit, and he flew out to center field to add a second run to cut the lead to six.
A 1-2-3 ninth went down for the Muleriders, keeping the Patriots in the game heading to their last chance. Bedgood dropped in his fourth hit of the night with one out, but the next batter grounded into a double play to end the contest at a final score of 9-3.
Brayden Freeman picked up his first loss of the year after going three innings while allowing just three hits and one run in his start.
Ethan Bedgood led all hitters with a 4-for-5 effort on the day. Carriere, Ardoin, and Clearman each picked up an RBI.
