TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler battled their way through a pitcher's duel for a majority of the contest, but a late rally that plated three runs for UAFS proved to be the difference in a 3-2 defeat on Saturday afternoon.
 
UT Tyler will now look ahead to the Lone Star Conference tournament opening round next weekend, where they have won advanced to the double elimination round each of the last two seasons.
 
Patriots starter Wyatt Wick put together a tremendous effort on Saturday, as he went 5.1 innings while allowing six hits, two walks, and three strikeouts to keep the Lions off the board.
 
Wick posted a strikeout in each of the first two innings while allowing just one hit in total. In the third, he allowed just his second hit, but again left that runner stranded. In the bottom of the fourth, the Lions got just their second runner to second base on the day after a two out walk and a single, but again Wick found the key to holding the Lions at bay.
 
In the fifth, the Lions would put together two singles, one of which put runners on the corners with two outs, but Wick came up huge yet again, striking out the final hitter of the inning as the score remained tied.
 
The Patriots offense finaly broke through in the sixth, as Blake LaBuda barreled up a double down the left field line and was followed up by singles from both Kyle Atkinson and Austin Ochoa to make it a 1-0 ballgame.
 
The Lions put pressure back on the Patriots in the sixth, getting a single and a walk with no outs before a flyout induced by Wick would end his outing. He handed it over to Justus Revill, who got a clutch flyout and then a foulout to left field to end the inning with the Patriots on top.
 
In the seventh, the Patriots doubled their lead, as Ethan Bedgood drilled a home run over the left field wall that ties the UT Tyler career record for home runs.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, the Lions finally got it going, as they led off with two walks and a single to load the bases before a walk plated their first run of the game. That brought on Nick Niebur, and the Lions singled up the middle to plate two more runs to make it 3-2.
 
Niebur responded with a groundout, strikeout and another groundout to end the inning, but the Lions held a slim 3-2 lead heading to the eighth.
 
Austin Ochoa led off with a single in the inning, but was unable to move from first as the Patriots went down in order. In the ninth, the Patriots again got a leadoff single, this time from Nathan Carriere. However, the next two batters went down with flyouts to make it two outs. In the next at-bat, Carriere looked to steal second, but was caught out by the Lions to end the game.
 
Both Nathan Carriere and Austin Ochoa posted 2-for-4 games on the day, while Ethan Bedgood and Ochoa each drove in a run.
 
UT Tyler will now await their LSC Tournament fate to be decided with a multitude of games on Sunday. The Patriots will either be the number four or number five seed, and that is dependent on games to be contested on Sunday afternoon.