TYLER, TEXAS – #1 UT Tyler softball moved to 27-2 overall and 18-2 in LSC play with 2-0 and 3-1 wins over Texas A&M-Kingsville.
GAME ONE
Game one of the day would see a pitcher's duel, with each team combining for just six hits.
Primrose Aholelei got the start for the Patriots, but could not complete the first inning as
Kaylee Davis came on in relief.
Davis was nearly lights out, not allowing a hit or a walk for five straight innings as she was perfect from the final out in the first through the first out in the seventh. The first hit she would allow would be a double down the line, and it was followed by a single to set up runners on the corners with one out, but Davis shut down the bats with a flyout and a strikeout to close out the game for the Patriots.
The Patriots offense would face a tough pitcher in the circle, and they would struggle to get things going until the fourth inning.
JT Smith led off with a double to left center, and moved over on a sacrifice bunt. Two batters later,
Ka'Lyn Watson beat out a single to shortstop that allowed Smith to come home for the first run. Watson would later move to second on another infield single, and a throwing error on the play ended up moving her all the way around to score and make it 2-0 and ensure the win.
Four different Patriots recorded a hit, while Smith and Watson each scored a run.
Kaylee Davis earned the win after going 6.1 innings and allowing just two hits while striking out four.
GAME TWO
Game two of the day would be a similar battle, as both teams found a rhythm in the circle in another pitcher's duel.
Cera Blanchard got the start for the Patriots and worked a hitless first three innings while striking out a pair. That set up the Patriots in the home half of the third, and they got things going as
JT Smith reached on an error with two outs. She would come around to score one batter later as
Sam Schott doubled down the right field line.
Schott moved to third via a wild pitch, and then scored as
Bailey Krolczyk legged out an infield single to make it 2-0 Patriots.
Blanchard would work a 1-2-3 fourth inning and allowed just a walk in the fifth while striking out a pair of Javelinas to keep the Patriots out in front. In the home half of the fifth, the Patriots got a leadoff triple from Smith to left center field and would bring her home via a Krolczyk sacrifice fly to make it 3-0.
The Javelinas finally got on the board in the sixth, breaking up the no hitter effort with a lead off single before a groundout and a single down the right field line to make it 3-1.
That however would be the final run of the game, as Blanchard sat down the final hitter of the sixth with a strikeout and followed it up with two more strikeouts in the seventh and a groundout to close out the game.
Blanchard moved to 10-2 on the year after going all seven innings. She allowed just one run on two hits while walking a pair and striking out eight.
#1 UT Tyler will now head back out on the road as they begin an eight game road trip this weekend with matchups against Cameron and #18 Oklahoma Christian. That weekend begins on Friday in Lawton, Oklahoma at 2 p.m.
