TYLER, TEXAS - #16 UT Tyler baseball moved to 5-0 on the year and took a 1-0 lead in the series against #2 Angelo State on Friday night thanks to a hard fought 5-3 win on Friday night.
Drew Schmidt put together a huge 3-for-3 effort with a pair of RBI while
Miles Clack picked up the win and
Garrett Arredondo added the save to give the Patriots the series advantage.
Starter
Rawley Hector worked scoreless efforts in each of the four innings on the night, striking out six total batters in those first four frames. Over the first three innings he never allowed more than baserunner, but the Angelo State bats threatened in the fourth. A single and a walk put on a pair with no outs, but two strikeouts cut the momentum down. The Rams added one more walk, but a fielder's choice would end the inning with no runs allowed.
While Hector threw shutout baseball on the mound, the Patriots were able to take a 1-0 lead as they got on the board in the first.
Mason Hammonds led off with a double down the left field line, and two batters later
Ethan Menard doubled down the right field line to drive him home and give the Patriots the lead.
In the fifth inning the Rams were able to string together a pair of singles after a flyout to chase Hector from the game. He made way for
Miles Clack, who got a huge fielder's choice at the plate before a pair of singles from the Rams drove home a pair of runs to give them a 2-1 advantage.
That lead wouldn't last long, as
Cade Conway connected on a sacrifice fly that scored
Drew Schmidt to tie the game right back up at 2-2. One inning later, a two out walk from
Kyle Atkinson kicked off a two out rally. He stole second and then would come around to score as
Connor Clark slapped a single through the left side. Two batters later it would be Schmidt coming up huge as he doubled to left field to bring both runners home and make it 5-2.
Clack on the mound settled in strong, allowing only a pair of walks over the next three innings while giving up no hits as he navigated a key stretch of the contest with no blemishes.
Clack would hand the ball over to
Garrett Arredondo to begin the ninth, and the Rams led off with a double to left center. He settled in with a strikeout looking, and then got a flyout to left field to make it two outs with a runner on third. The Rams drew a walk and then got an RBI single to bring the go-ahead runner to the plate, but Arredondo struck that hitter out looking to end the contest.
Five hitters recorded a hit in the contest, five recorded a run scored, and four recorded an RBI.
Miles Clack went 3.2 innings while allowing just two hits and two walks to pick up the win in relief. Arredondo picked up his first save of the year after allowing just one run and striking out a pair.
Game two of the series begins at 2 p.m. at Irwin Field and will be followed by game three approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one.
