TYLER, TEXAS – The UT Tyler baseball team fell short against West Texas A&M on Monday afternoon, splitting the series at 2-2. The Buffs held off a late rally by the Patriots to secure a 9-8 victory in an offensive showdown. The two teams combined for 17 runs on 24 hits.
The Patriots started strong in the bottom of the first inning. After West Texas A&M retired the first batter, Connor Clark ignited the offense with a single to center. Following a walk and another single, Drew Schmidt delivered an RBI single through the left side, putting UT Tyler on the board at 1-0. Bo Willis followed with the team's third consecutive single, driving in two more runs for an early 3-0 advantage.
The second inning saw both teams go down quietly, but West Texas A&M erupted in the third. A leadoff home run got things started for the Buffs, followed by a walk. After two quick outs, West Texas A&M strung together a single, a double, and a three-run homer to go ahead 5-3.
Scoring stalled until the top of the fifth when the Buffs hit another leadoff homer. A single and a pair of errors plated another run, extending their lead to 7-3. West Texas A&M added insurance runs in the seventh and eighth innings. In the seventh, a hit-by-pitch, a stolen base, and an RBI single made it 8-3. In the eighth, a leadoff single followed by a triple brought in their final run of the game, pushing the score to 9-3.
The Patriots refused to go down without a fight, rallying for three runs in the bottom of the eighth. After two quick outs, an error extended the inning. A walk and a single loaded the bases for Mason Hammonds, who smashed a double to left-center, clearing the bases and cutting the deficit to 9-6.
In the ninth, Bryson Adair came in to pitch for UT Tyler and retired the Buffs in order, giving the Patriots one last chance. They made it interesting, bringing the winning run on base. A walk, single, and another walk loaded the bases. Tanner Hornback plated a run with an RBI fielder's choice, and a hit-by-pitch brought in another, making it 9-8. However, the Buffs held on to close out the game.
Out of the bullpen, Nick Niebur, Kolby Parker, and Adair combined for 3.1 innings, allowing just three hits and no runs. Niebur pitched 1.1 innings, lowering his ERA to 2.53 over 10.2 innings this season. Parker tossed a full inning, bringing his season ERA to 2.25 over eight innings with a 1-0 record. Adair also threw a clean inning, recording his first strikeout of the year.
Offensively, three Patriots had multi-hit games, with two players tallying three hits each. Clark went 3-for-4 with a run scored, boosting his season average to .400. Schmidt finished 3-for-5 with an RBI and continues to lead the team with a .465 average and 23 RBIs. Willis contributed a 2-for-4 performance with two RBIs and a run scored. Hammonds' three-run double marked his third game this season with three or more RBIs.
The series saw three of the four games decided by a single run, resulting in a split. With this loss, UT Tyler falls to 19-5 on the year. The Patriots will now head to Magnolia, Arkansas, for their first nonconference game of the season against Southern Arkansas on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
