TYLER, TEXAS – #1 UT Tyler softball moved to 21-2 overall and 12-2 in LSC play behind a 5-0 and 12-0 victory over Eastern New Mexico on Friday night at Irwin Field.
 
GAME ONE
 
Game one of the day saw the Patriots take care of business with five runs on five hits while holding the Greyhounds to just one hit and no runs on their way to a 5-0 win.
 
That effort was spearheaded by Primrose Aholelei in the circle, who was lights out for the entire contest. She went all seven innings and allowed just one hit. She struck out 10 batters and issued three walks for the complete game shutout.
 
Aholelei struck out at least one batter in all but one inning during the contest, and four times she struck out two batters in one inning. She allowed just one baserunner through five innings, and didn't give up her first hit until a two-out infield single in the top of the sixth.
 
In the seventh, Aholelei would issue two walks and a hit by pitch to load the bases with no outs, but got two strikeouts and a foulout to lock up the shutout and earn her 10^th win of the year.
 
On offense, the Patriots got on the board after just three batters as Bailey Krolczyk slugged a two run blast over the left center field wall to make it 2-0. The Patriots would add another run in the inning as Miia Campos doubled into the left center gap that allowed Sam Schott to score from first.
 
In the third, Krolczyk drew a walk and Ka'Lyn Watson reached on an error to set up a pair of runners with no outs. A lineout and another error would allow Krolczyk to move to third, and Campos came up with an RBI sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.
 
The final run of the game would come in the fifth, as Schott doubled to left center field, allowing Krolczyk to come around all the way from first to make it 5-0.
 
Krolczyk went 1-for-1 in the contest with three runs and two RBI while drawing a pair of walks. Both Schott and JT Smith would add the other two runs in the game as five different players recorded a hit.
 
GAME TWO
 
Game two saw a lot of similar actions to game one, this time as Cera Blanchard was stout in the circle and the Patriots took advantage of several big chances at the plate to put together a 12-0 run rule in just five innings.
 
Blanchard got the ball in the circle, and like Aholelei, was nearly lights out. That effort began in the first, as she struck out the side around a single and a walk to strand two runners.
 
In the third, she would allow a pair of singles before a sacrifice bunt moved them to scoring position. However, she was nails in the moment, getting a foulout and a lineout to again leave the runners stranded.
 
In the fifth, She would strikeout the first batter and get a groundout before serving up a walk. That walk would see Kaylee Davis come in to close out the contest as she allowed a walk before striking out the final batter of the game.
 
In total, Blanchard threw 4.2 innings while allowing just three hits and two walks and posting seven strikeouts on her way to her seventh win of the season.
 
At the plate, the Patriots would take advantage of three key errors on their way to 12 runs and a run rule. That began in the first inning, as JT Smith led off with a three base error to left field before immediately coming home to score on a wild pitch while Jordyn De Los Santos drew a walk.
 
Bailey Krolczyk would reach first on another error, and the Patriots capitalized on that in a big way as Ka'Lyn Watson hit a towering home run to left center herself to clear the bases and make it 4-0 after one.
 
Smith would add her own homer in the second inning as she hit a frozen rope that just cleared the right field wall. Another pair of runs would cross in the third, as Sam Garcia singled to right field and then moved all the way to third on an error, allowing both Sam Schott and Abbie Behe to score.
 
In the bottom half of the fourth, the Patriots would put the hypothetical nail in the coffin with five more runs to make it 12-0. That effort started as the Patriots loaded the bases on two walks and a hit by pitch before a walk by Alaunah Almaraz plated the first run.
 
Behe would bring home another run via a fielder's choice, and Angelique Rangel tripled to right center to clear the bases yet again. That rally was capped off by Smith, as she singled up the middle to bring home Rangel and make it 12-0.
 
JT Smith would put together a big day, going 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and a walk. Ka'Lyn Watson added a 1-for-2 effort that saw her score two runs and drive home three.
 
In total, eight different Patriots scored a run, seven different players recorded a hit, and seven different players recorded an RBI.
 
#1 UT Tyler now looks to cap off the weekend on Sunday afternoon as they host Western New Mexico. That doubleheader begins at 11 a.m.