TYLER, TEXAS – #1 UT Tyler softball moved to 25-2 overall and 16-2 in LSC play as they took 8-0 and 5-3 wins over Texas A&M-Kingsville on Friday.
GAME ONE
UT Tyler blanked the Javelinas in game one behind a dominant pitching performance and late offense, leading to an 8-0 run rule win.
Primrose Aholelei gave up just five hits in game one, going all six innings to secure the complete game win. She also gave up no walks, and struck out six Dustdevils. She would strike out at least one batter in four of the six innings pitched.
She worked a 1-2-3 first, and also faced the minimum in the second after getting a key pickoff at first base after allowing a leadoff single. The Patriots got another pickoff in the third to wipe out another leadoff single, and Aholelei added her second strikeout.
Aholelei would strike out a pair of batters in the fourth and fifth innings, and got a clutch ground ball double play in the sixth to complete a strong day in the circle to move to 12-0 on the year.
The Patriots offense would go scoreless through the first two innings, but in the third inning the Patriots struck first as
JT Smith belted a homer to right field that also plated
Angelique Rangel and made it 2-0.
They would break the game open in the fifth as
Jordyn De Los Santos led off the inning with a solo shot. The next three Patriots reached via single, hit by pitch, and walk, and a wild pitch would score Rangel.
Bailey Krolczyk would plate a third run in the inning via a sacrifice fly, and the Patriots used a double steal to score
Sam Schott from third and make it 6-0.
In the sixth inning, the Patriots stood just two runs away from a run-rule win.
Alaunah Almaraz led off the inning with a double to left center, and she came around to score as Rangel tripled to right center to make it 7-0. The Patriots then got an RBI sacrifice fly from Smith, scoring the eighth run and earning a run-rule win.
JT Smith went 2-for-2 with three RBI and two runs scored, and
Angelique Rangel went 3-for-3 with one RBI and three runs scored.
GAME TWO
Game two on the day saw the Patriots plate all five runs in the first two innings as they relied on their pitching staff to hold off a late charge for another win.
That scoring began as
Ka'Lyn Watson singled up the middle to drive home Smith in the first inning. In the second inning, the Patriots got an RBI single from Smith to score
Taryn Barney after she drew a one out walk and moved to second on a single. That set up
Sam Schott with two runners on and one out, and she delivered a three run blast over the center field wall to make it 5-0 through just two innings.
In the circle,
Cera Blanchard was lights out in the early innings, allowing just one hit over the first three frames and striking out the side in the third inning. She would continue to be solid through the fifth, working 1-2-3 innings in the fourth and fifth frames.
In the sixth, the Dustdevils finally got their bats going after working a pair of walks around a groundout. A fielder's choice gave the Patriots a second out, but a single to left field and a three RBI single to deep right center field would cut the lead down to 5-3.
That would ultimately run Blanchard from the game as she made way for
Kaylee Davis. Davis got a strikeout to begin her outing, and then added two more strikeouts and a lineout in the seventh inning to earn her third save of the year.
Blanchard moved to 9-2 on the year after going 5.2 innings while allowing three hits and three runs. She struck out five Dustdevils and issued just two walks.
JT Smith added to her monster day as she went 2-for-3 with one RBI and two runs scored.
Sam Schott added a 1-for-3 day that included her three run blast.
#1 UT Tyler will now host Texas A&M-Kingsville on Sunday afternoon in another doubleheader at Irwin Field. Sunday's game one will begin at 1 p.m.
