CONROE, TEXAS - #1 UT Tyler softball begins the season 2-0 after taking down Southeastern Oklahoma State 7-0 and Regis 8-0 at the DII First Pitch Invitational in Conroe, Texas.
 
Primrose Aholelei went the full seven innings in game one while scattering six hits and striking out nine hitters to pick up her first win in a Patriots uniform. Cera Blanchard took the ball in game two of the day and went all five innings in the run-rule win while striking out seven batters and allowing just one hit to earn her first Patriots win.
 
Sam Schott went a combined 5-for-7 on the day and drove in five runs while scoring three herself. She had two triples and a double over the two contests.  JT Smith added in a 4-for-6 performance over the two games and Taryn Barney went a combined 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles and a home run over the two games while driving in three.
 
GAME ONE
 
The Patriots began game one with a stressful moment as the Savage Storm put together a single and a double to put a pair of runners in scoring position with one out. Aholelei came through clutch to shut down the rally, striking out the next batter and inducing a weak fly ball to center field to end the threat.
 
That gritty inning sparked the offense, as Smith and Schott led off with singles before Bailey Krolczyk walked to load the bases. That brought up Ka'Lyn Watson, and she dropped in a single to center field for the first run of the contest. Two batters later, Abbie Behe drove in her first run as a Patriot with a sacrifice fly and the Patriots led 2-0.
 
Alohelei struck out three hitters over her next three innings and allowed just one hit as she put the clamps down on the Savage Storm offense. In the bottom of the fourth the Patriots struck again with another pair of runs. Miia Campos doubled to left center with two outs, setting up Taryn Barney for a two run blast over the left field wall to put the Patriots up 4-0.
 
Krolczyk added an inside-the-park home run in the fifth and Schott ripped a three RBI triple to right center field in the sixth inning as the Patriots ran their lead up to 7-0. Aholelei struck out five hitters over the last three innings, including striking out the side in the top of the seventh inning to close out the complete game win.
 
The Patriots had five total extra base hits as part of their 12 hits in the matchup. JT Smith, Sam Schott, Ka'Lyn Watson, and Taryn Barney each recorded multiple hits on the day.
 
GAME TWO
 
Game two of the day saw Regis lead off with a single, but that runner was picked off immediately while Cera Blanchard quickly ended the inning with a popout and a strikeout.
 
She would turn it over to the offense in the home half, and the Patriots picked right back up where they left off game one as Smith began with a single and came around to score on Schott's second triple of the day. Krolczyk singled to left field as the next batter up, and the Patriots led 2-0 after one.
 
Regis put together a tough inning in the second, reaching base twice on a walk and hit by pitch around a strikeout, but Blanchard looked the part, forcing a fielder's choice and then getting a clutch pickoff of the runner at third to close out the inning.
 
Blanchard struck out a pair of batters in the third and fourth innings, sandwiched around a five run third inning for the Patriots offense. Schott would double home Smith to begin the scoring, and Schott would score on a Watson sacrifice fly two batters later. Barney added her third RBI of the day in the frame, doubling home Krolczyk for the fourth run. Hailey Fannin would jump in as a pinch runner for Barney and came around to score on a Jordyn De Los Santos double, and the final run of the inning came from Behe as she hit a sacrifice fly to center field to allow De Los Santos to score.
 
Blanchard would add one final strikeout in the fifth inning to post her fifth straight scoreless frame, setting up the Patriots offense for the potential run-rule in the home half. Barney would lead off with a walk, allowing Berlyn Grossman to come in and pinch run. De Los Santos stepped to the plate again, and she drilled another double to left center field that allowed Grossman to come all the way around and score the walk off run.
 
The Patriots posted five extra base hits in the second game of the day, including a pair of doubles from Jordyn De Los Santos. She would be joined in the multiple hits category by Smith, Schott, and Krolczyk.
 
UT Tyler will be back in action on Saturday afternoon as they take on #21 Colorado Mesa at 1:30 and Colorado School of Mines at 4 p.m as part of the DII First Pitch Invitational.