TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler baseball looked phenomenal against the No. 12 team in the country on Saturday as they took an 18-6 win and a 16-4 win over Lubbock Christian.
Kaston Mason became the all-time UT Tyler career home run leader at 25 home runs with a blast in the first inning of the first game of the doubleheader. That home run broke a tie with both
Ethan Bedgood and Joe Towns for the top spot.
GAME ONE
UT Tyler found their stride in the early afternoon on both sides of the ball and never looked back.
Patriots starter Kyle Froelich secured the win in game one as he pitched five full innings while delivering three strikeouts. He gave up just one hit through the first three innings and by the time he gave up his first of four earned runs UT Tyler already had nine runs on the board.
UT Tyler wasted no time in the scoring column as they put together an impressive first inning.
Kaston Mason hit that aforementioned 25th career home run to become the new homerun leader in UT Tyler program history which started a scoring frenzy as the Patriots brought five runs across home plate to take a 5-0 lead after the top of the first.
Froelich delivered a scoreless second and third to maintain the five run lead until the fourth when the Patriots extended it. Mason walked in a run to score
Mason Hammonds,
Kyle Atkinson hit a sacrifice fly that brought in
Cade Conway, and back to back RBI singles from
Connor Clark and
Blake LaBuda gave UT Tyler a 9-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth.
Lubbock Christian got on the board in the bottom of the fourth as Brevin McCool hit a two run home run to make it 9-2.
UT Tyler picked up where they left off as they scored three more runs in the top of the fifth.
Justin Williams knocked in a two RBI single and
Connor Clark smacked an infield single that brought Williams home to take a 12-2 lead.
The Chaps scored their final runs in the 5th as Kade York hit a three-run homer to left field and Brock Tijerina hit an RBI single through the right side to cut the deficit to 12-6.
The Patriots kept their momentum going as
Cade Conway launched a three-run homer in the sixth, extending the lead to 15-6.
They added three more runs in the seventh, with
Tanner Hornback drawing a bases-loaded walk,
Drew Schmidt driving in a run with a groundout, and pinch hitter
Brock Bearden delivering an RBI single. The all around great offense secured an 18-6 victory over Lubbock Christian.
All but one batter recorded a hit, while all but two recorded a run. Conway secured four RBI during the game as Mason was just behind with three RBI.
GAME TWO
UT Tyler was hungry for more and did not slow down offensively whatsoever to collect their third straight win to open the year as they beat Lubbock Christian 16-4.
Dylan Blomquist started on the mound for the Patriots as he delivered five solid innings notching four strikeouts.
After a scoreless first inning
Ethan Menard ripped a long ball over the right field fence to start the second inning. Atkinson followed with a solo shot of his own to take a 2-0 lead.
The homers were flying early in game two as McCool hit one out of the park for Lubbock Christian in the bottom of the second.
The Patriots erupted in the third and fourth innings as they scored 11 total runs during that frame. Schmidt and
Bo Willis each secured an RBI Triple while Hornback knocked a double and Clark roped an RBI single to take a 7-1 lead after the third.
UT Tyler continued in the fourth as four unearned runs and two earned runs on three hits and two errors by the Lubbock Christian defense gave the Patriots a 13-1 lead.
Lubbock Christian attempted to get the ball rolling in the fourth as they scored three runs on five hits to cut the deficit to 13-4.
The Patriots scored three more runs to round out the game as Schmidt smacked a two RBI double in the sixth and hit into a fielder's choice that brought a run home in the seventh to complete a double header victory and a 3-0 series lead.
Eight Patriots recorded a hit in game two, with
Drew Schmidt leading the way going 3-for-4 with a run, a walk, and six RBI.
UT Tyler now looks for a series sweep over #12 Lubbock Christian at 1 p.m. in Lubbock, Texas.
