AUSTIN, TEXAS – #1 UT Tyler softball rolled to a pair of wins over St. Edward's as they allowed just one run combined on the day while scoring 24 in a doubleheader sweep.
 
GAME ONE: #1 UT Tyler 17, St. Edward's 1
 
The offense came early and often for the Patriots as they scored all 17 runs in the game in their first four innings, including nine in the first inning alone.
 
Bailey Krolczyk got things going with an RBI single to plate JT Smith, and Miia Campos would triple down the line to clear the bases and make it 4-0 with no outs. Taryn Barney added an RBI double, and then the Patriots got a hit by pitch and a single to load the bases. A key popout would be the first out, but Smith in her second at-bat of the frame slugged a grand slam over the right center field wall to make it 9-0.
 
Jordyn De Los Santos would homer to left center in the second inning, adding another pair of runs to the total on the day. In the third, Krolczyk homered to left field and then Abbie Behe drove home another run with an RBI single up the middle to make it 13-0 after two and a half frames.
 
De Los Santos led off the fourth with a solo blast, and two batters later Sam Schott took her turn as she drilled a two run home run to left center field and extended the lead out to 16-0. Julissa Vasquez would add the final run of the game for the Patriots, grounding out to second base and bringing home Krolczyk to make it 17-0.
 
Kaylee Davis got the start in the circle in game one, and she delivered four nearly perfect innings as she allowed just one hit while striking out one hitter. That lone hit came in the third via a leadoff double, but a sacrifice bunt, popup, and groundout would end the threat for the Hilltoppers. She got her third 1-2-3 inning in the fourth, capping off the win and moving her to 9-0 on the year. She was replaced by Kaylee Harris for the fifth inning, and she allowed one run on two hits as she closed out the contest for the Patriots.
 
In total, 10 different Patriots recorded a hit, nine recorded a run, and eight recorded an RBI in a team effort for the program. Five different Patriots recorded at least two RBI and six recorded at least two runs.
 
GAME TWO: #1 UT Tyler 7, St. Edward's 0
 
Game two would be much of the same for the Patriots, although it took just a few innings to get the bats rolling.
 
Neither side would plate a run over the first three innings as Cera Blanchard was nearly perfect in the circle. She recorded two hitless innings to begin the game before allowing a leadoff single in the third, however, she responded by setting down the next six batters consecutively as she held the Hilltoppers scoreless through four.
 
The Patriots led off the top of the fourth with a single by Miia Campos, and a fielder's choice and a hit by pitch would load the bases. Sam Garcia drove home a run with a sacrifice fly, and a fielder's choice from Jordyn De Los Santos plated another run. JT Smith would step up to the plate with one out and she drove home the third run of the inning with a sacrifice fly of her own to make it 3-0.
 
Blanchard stayed stout in the fifth, working around two singles to lead off the inning by getting a sacrifice out and two groundouts to keep the Hilltoppers off the board. That set up the Patriots to extend the lead in the sixth inning as they scored four key runs.
 
After a leadoff walk followed by a single, Sam Schott drove home the first two runs as she drilled a double down the line to make it 5-0. A pair of groundouts followed, but Campos came through with a big home run to right field to extend the lead out to 7-0.
 
In the home half of the sixth, the Hilltoppers would get a pair of walks after a leadoff popout, ultimately forcing Blanchard from the game. She made room for Primose Aholelei, who got a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning. Aholelei closed out the seventh as well, striking out a pair of batters and getting a flyout to end the contest.
 
Blanchard went 5.1 innings while allowing just three hits and three walks and also striking out three batters. That win moves her to 13-3 on the year.
 
Miia Campos led the Patriots offense as she went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. Sam Schott went 1-for-2 with two RBI and a run scored, and three other Patriots would provide an RBI in the contest.
 
#1 UT Tyler will now look ahead to this week's four game series against Texas Woman's. That series begins on Friday as the two teams square off in Denton, Texas before they each head to Tyler on Sunday for the final two games of the weekend.