PORTALES, N.M. – The University of Texas at Tyler baseball program secured a crucial game four victory against Eastern New Mexico on Monday, earning a series split with a 9-5 win.
Eastern New Mexico struck first, retiring the Patriots in order before taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a two-run double following a leadoff walk and a one-out single.
UT Tyler wasted no time responding. A leadoff walk followed by a Bryce Jewell double put runners in scoring position, and Blake LaBuda promptly delivered a two-run single through the left side to even the score. A bunt single put two on for Ryan Walker, who blasted his first hit of the season—a three-run homer—to give the Patriots a 5-2 advantage.
The Greyhounds cut the deficit to one in the third, using a leadoff home run, a double, and an RBI single to make it 5-4.
However, the Patriots quickly regained control. A leadoff single by Brock Bearden set up Walker, who ripped an RBI double to right-center. After advancing on a sacrifice bunt, Walker scored on a Drew Schmidt single to center, extending the lead back to three. UT Tyler tacked on two more insurance runs in the seventh after a leadoff walk, a Tanner Hornback double, and a Greyhounds error. Following an intentional walk to Walker, Mason Hammonds lifted a sacrifice fly to make it 9-4.
Eastern New Mexico pushed across one final run in the eighth, capitalizing on a single and an error before a groundout and sacrifice fly brought the runner home, settling the final score at 9-5.
The Patriots' bullpen shined, led by Nick Neibur and Garrett Arredondo. Neibur entered in the third with two runners on and one out but escaped with a double play. He went on to throw three scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out two to earn his first win of the season. Arredondo followed with a dominant 3.2-inning outing, surrendering four hits and no earned runs to record his fifth save while lowering his ERA to 2.25.
Offensively, five Patriots tallied multi-hit performances. Schmidt, Jewell, and Walker each went 2-for-4, while LaBuda and Hornback finished 2-for-5. Schmidt has now reached safely in every game this season and boasts a .510 on-base percentage with a .449 batting average. Walker, Hornback, and Jewell also scored twice. Walker's two hits—including his first home run of the year—came with four RBIs.
With the series split, UT Tyler improves to 21-8 overall and 13-4 on the road. The Patriots return home to host Cameron in a four-game series beginning Friday.
