TYLER, TEXAS – The UT Tyler baseball team claimed the series lead after sweeping West Texas A&M in their doubleheader on Sunday afternoon. The offense delivered a strong performance, racking up 21 hits, including three home runs, and scoring 11 runs on the day. Meanwhile, the pitching staff dominated, allowing just nine hits throughout the day.

GAME 1

Patriots bounced back in game one of their doubleheader against West Texas A&M securing a 5-1 victory. The Patriots offense tallied 10 hits while limiting the Buffs to just four, thanks to strong pitching performances from Kyle Froehlich and Garrett Arredondo.

Froehlich set the tone early, retiring the West Texas A&M lineup in order to open the game. After two quick outs in the bottom of the first, Justin Williams ripped a double into the gap and advanced to third on an Ethan Menard single. Drew Schmidt then laid down a perfect RBI bunt single to bring Williams home, giving UT Tyler an early 1-0 lead.

Froehlich continued dealing in the second, facing the minimum thanks to a double play. However, West Texas A&M responded in the third with a solo home run, tying the game at 1-1. The Patriots wasted no time reclaiming the lead as Connor Clark led off the bottom half of the inning with a solo shot to left field, putting UT Tyler back on top 2-1.

Both teams remained scoreless through the fourth before the Patriots struck again in the fifth. Back-to-back singles, a wild pitch, and a walk loaded the bases for Schmidt, who delivered once more with an RBI single to extend the lead to 3-1.

Arredondo entered in relief of Froehlich in the fifth and shut down the Buffs' offense. Over 2.2 innings, he allowed just one baserunner and struck out one, securing the save.

UT Tyler added insurance runs in the sixth. A single, a walk, and a wild pitch put runners on second and third with one out, setting the stage for Williams, who roped a two-run double—his third hit of the game—to cap the scoring at 5-1.

Froehlich earned his sixth win of the season, improving to 6-0 with a 2.34 ERA after allowing just one run on four hits across 4.1 innings while striking out five. Arredondo picked up his third save and lowered his ERA to 3.27.

Three Patriots recorded multi-hit games. Clark went 2-for-3 with his second home run of the season, Schmidt matched him at 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and Williams led the charge with a 3-for-4 performance, driving in two runs and scoring once.

GAME 2

UT Tyler kept the momentum rolling into game two, collecting 11 hits and walking off West Texas A&M in the bottom of the seventh for a thrilling 6-5 victory. The Patriots also tallied five extra-base hits while limiting the Buffs to just five hits in the contest.

Dylan Blomquist started strong, retiring the Buffs in order in the first inning with two strikeouts. However, West Texas A&M struck first with a solo home run in the second to take a 1-0 lead. Blomquist quickly regained control, striking out three to end the frame and then putting the Buffs down in order again in the third.

UT Tyler responded in the bottom of the third. After a Bryce Jewell single and a sacrifice bunt moved him into scoring position, Justin Williams continued his stellar doubleheader performance by crushing a 431-foot, two-run home run at 106 mph exit velocity, giving the Patriots a 2-1 lead.

West Texas A&M answered back in the fourth, tying the game at 2-2 after a walk, single, and an error. The Buffs then reclaimed the lead in the fifth, capitalizing on a hit-by-pitch, single, and wild pitch to make it 3-2.

Once again, UT Tyler wasted no time responding. Leading off the bottom of the fifth, Jewell jumped on the first pitch and launched a solo home run to even the score at 3-3.

The Buffs regained the lead in the sixth, drawing three consecutive walks before a two-run single put them ahead 5-3. However, the Patriots fought back once more. Bo Willis sparked the rally with a double down the left-field line, and Tanner Hornback followed with an RBI single. Kyle Atkinson added a third straight hit to put runners on first and second, and a throwing error by the Buffs allowed the tying run to cross the plate, making it 5-5.

With the game knotted at five entering the bottom of the seventh, the Patriots looked for a decisive hit before extra innings. Clark led off with a walk and advanced into scoring position on a fielder's choice. That set the stage for Ethan Menard, who delivered in the clutch, launching a walk-off RBI double over the center fielder's head to score Clark and seal a 6-5 victory.

Blomquist finished with 4.1 innings, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out six, lowering his ERA to 3.99. Miles Clack closed out the game and earned his third win of the season, improving to 3-0 out of the bullpen.

For the second straight game, three Patriots recorded multi-hit performances. Hornback went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, Jewell matched him at 2-for-3 with his third home run of the season, and Williams capped off a dominant doubleheader with another 3-for-4 performance, including his third homer of the year. Williams finished the day 6-for-8 with two runs scored and four RBIs. He now has a .433 batting average and leads the team with 23 RBIs.

With the doubleheader sweep, UT Tyler (19-4) takes sole possession of first place in the Lone Star Conference. The Patriots will look to secure the series win on Monday at 12 p.m.