CONROE, TEXAS – #1 UT Tyler softball moved to 4-0 in 2025 on Saturday afternoon behind a dominant effort in the circle by Primrose Aholelei and clutch hitting from the top half of the lineup.
 
GAME ONE
 
The Patriots battled with #21 Colorado Mesa in game one of the day, taking a 3-0 win as Primrose Aholelei threw another gem from the circle.
 
The Mavericks would press Aholelei early, loading the bases with two outs thanks to a pair of singles and an error, but she buckled down and came through with a big strikeout to shut down the rally.
 
Aholelei then put together a brilliant game from then on, not allowing a single baserunner through the final six innings. In that timeframe she struck out four batters and allowed just two batted balls to reach the outfield.
 
The Patriots offense would break through in the third inning, taking a two run lead. Miia Campos drew a two out walk and Sam Schott was hit by a pitch with two outs, setting up Bailey Krolczyk to drive them both home as she tattooed a triple down the right field line.
 
The Patriots offense tacked on one more run in the fifth inning, as Ka'Lyn Watson was hit by a pitch and then came around to score on a Jordyn De Los Santos double.
 
That run would be the final run of the contest for either side as the Patriots held on for a 3-0 win behind the complete game effort from Aholelei.
 
Krolczyk led the offensive effort with a 2-for-3 day that included a pair of RBI and two extra base hits.
 
GAME TWO
 
Game two of the day saw Cera Blanchard take the rubber for the Patriots against Colorado School of Mines. The Orediggers began the day by putting runners on the corners with two outs, but Blanchard struck out the last batter to move the game to the home half.
 
JT Smith drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Schott, and then would come around to score on a single by Watson to center field. Watson advanced to third on the same single as a bobble in the outfield led to an error, and she would come around to score just one batter later as Taryn Barney forced an error of her own in right field to make it a 2-0 ballgame after one inning.
 
After a second inning that featured no baserunners for either side, the Orediggers would put the pressure back on the Patriots in the third.
 
A hit-by-pitch and three singles around a groundout led to the first run of the game for the Orediggers, and another single with two outs would make it a 2-2 game. That last single chased Blanchard from the game, and she made way for Kaylee Davis. Davis allowed a walk to begin her outing, but got a weak foul out to close out the inning as the Orediggers led 3-2.
 
The Patriots offense wasted no time in getting the run back, taking advantage of a pair of errors and a single to load the bases before Abbie Behe drew a hit-by-pitch to tie the game.
 
Davis put together a shut down inning with a pair of strikeouts in the fourth, setting up the Patriots lineup to take the lead again. Smith ripped a one out triple down the right field line and would come around to score as Schott hit a sacrifice fly to left field. The next batter up was Krolczyk, and she hammered a home run over the left field wall to make it 5-3.
 
Davis struck out the side in the fifth inning and would trot back out for the sixth inning, but the Orediggers looked to rally in the sixth. A hit by pitch and a pair of infield singles loaded the bases with no outs, leading to Davis exiting the game. Primrose Aholelei stepped in to the tough situation, and she never skipped a step from the first game. She allowed a flyout to short left field for the first out, and she then put together two straight strikeouts to close out the inning and leave three runners stranded.
 
That big out sparked the offense in the home half of the sixth, as Smith and Schott reached base on a single and an error. A wild pitch moved them each into scoring position, and Krolcyzk came through clutch with an RBI single deep into the hole at shortstop. Waston was the next batter up, and she doubled to deep center field to bring home another pair of runs and make it 8-3.
 
Aholelei trotted back out for the seventh inning and put up another pair of strikeouts and a flyout to close out the contest and earn her first save of the season.
 
Ka'Lyn Watson put together a 3-for-4 game with three RBI and a run scored while Bailey Krolczyk went 2-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored.
 
Kaylee Davis picked up her first win of the season after going 2.1 innings and allowing three hits and no runs.
 
#1 UT Tyler will close out the DII First Pitch Invitational on Sunday afternoon as they battle it out with Missouri Western at 12:30 p.m.