BENTONVILLE, ARKANSAS - #1 UT Tyler softball closed out their final two games of the Alvy Early Memorial Classic on Saturday with a pair of wins over Emporia State and Southern Arkansas to climb to 9-0 on the year.
GAME ONE
The Patriots battled with the Hornets in the first game of the day at 11 a.m.
Primrose Aholelei got the ball to begin the game in the circle, and she worked around a single in the first inning to move the Patriots to the home half. There, they would take a 1-0 lead thanks to a
JT Smith triple to leadoff the game and she would come around to score on an error just one batter later.
Aholelei worked scoreless innings in the second, third, fourth, and fifth, striking out eight hitters in the process. The Hornets had just two hitters reach base in the stretch, both of which came in the third inning. In that third inning Emporia State led off with a double and picked up a one out single, but Aholelei struck out the side in the inning and held them completely scoreless.
That 1-0 lead for the Patriots would last until the fourth, where they would add another run as
Bailey Krolczyk led off the inning with a home run to center field to make it 2-0.
Sam Schott would tack on another run in the bottom of the fifth as she drove an RBI single to center field that allowed Smith to come around and score.
In the sixth inning, Emporia State would finally get themselves on the board, using a pair of errors and a walk to load the bases. They would then get a clutch single to right center field, driving in a pair of runs. That single chased Aholelei from the contest, and she would be replaced by
Kaylee Davis.
Davis would allow a single that scored another run to begin her outing, but she then got a fielder's choice to end the frame as the Hornets tied up the contest heading into the bottom of the sixth.
In the home half,
Taryn Barney would lead off by reaching via an error before making way for
Berlyn Grossman to pinch run. Grossman moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and then came around to score on an
Abbie Behe RBI single to make it 4-3.
Davis would head back to the circle for the seventh, and she would allow just one walk before a flyout, strikeout, and groundout to end the contest.
JT Smith led the Patriots with a 2-for-4 performance that included a pair of runs scored.
Bailey Krolczyk would add a homerun and a run scored.
GAME TWO
Game two of the day would see the Patriots offense kick into high gear, scoring eight runs in the contest. Arguably the star of the show however was
Cera Blanchard, who threw a dazzling complete game one hitter to shut down the Muleriders offense.
Blanchard's performance began with a pair of strikeouts in a perfect first inning, and that kicked off a performance that saw her hold a perfect game for the first 15 batters of the contest. She would strike out four hitters in those first five innings. Blanchard faced a three ball count four times in that stretch, but was able to escape unscathed on each occasion.
The Patriots offense found their stride early, scoring three runs in the third and another in the fourth.
Abbie Behe had an RBI single to center, and then came around on a
Miia Campos triple to right field. Campos would score just one batter later as
JT Smith singled her home. In the fourth the Patriots used another triple, this time from
Ka'Lyn Watson to put themselves in a dangerous spot, and Watson came around to score on a
Taryn Barney RBI single.
In the top of the sixth, the Patriots added another pair of runs, this time as
Bailey Krolczyk singled to center field to drive in both Smith and
Sam Schott to lead to a 6-0 lead.
Blanchard would stroll back out for the sixth inning with her perfect game still intact, and she got a quick popup to start the inning. The next batter however would break up the perfect game, singling to right field for the first baserunner of the contest for the Muleriders. Blanchard would be unphased, getting a quick lineout and a groundout to end the threat.
In the top of the seventh, the Patriots got another pair of runs to make it 8-0, using an RBI double from Behe and a sacrifice fly from Smith. That set up Blanchard for the final half inning of the contest, and she worked a 1-2-3 inning with a pair of strikeouts to close out the contest with a complete game.
Blanchard went all seven innings while allowing just one hit and striking out six.
JT Smith went a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored, and
Abbie Behe added a 2-for-4 performance with two RBI and two runs scored.
#1 UT Tyler will now get set to open up LSC competition next weekend as they take on UT Permian Basin and Sul Ross State in a pair of doubleheaders.
