TYLER, TEXAS – #3 UT Tyler softball moved to 47-4 on the season and 38-4 in Lone Star Conference play after a doubleheader sweep of #16 Oklahoma Christian.
GAME ONE: #3 UT Tyler: 4, #16 Oklahoma Christian: 0
In game one, the two teams battled tightly, but a four run third inning from the Patriots provided all the difference in the contest.
Kaylee Davis got the start in the circle for UT Tyler and once again twirled a gem as she went all seven innings. Her day started by working around a pair of two out singles in the first before a strikeout to end the inning.
That runner reaching second base would be the only runner to reach base until the seventh inning in game one as Davis went into lockdown mode. She faced the minimum in the second, third, and fourth innings, and worked around a lone two out single in the fifth.
Behind her, the Patriots struck in the third inning as a pair of hit by pitches led off the frame. Two batters later,
Ka'Lyn Watson drove a single up the middle to plate
Berlyn Grossman and make it 1-0. The next batter up was
Taryn Barney, and after a marathon at-bat she went down and got a low pitch and drove it over the left center field wall for a three run blast to make it 4-0.
In the top of the seventh, the leadoff hitter for the Eagles reached on an error, but Davis settled back in with a foulout and a flyout. The next hitter would reach on a single, but Davis induced the fielder's choice to end the game.
Davis threw her sixth complete game of the year and moved to 15-0. She allowed just four hits and struck out a pair while allowing no walks.
At the plate,
Taryn Barney played the big role with a three run blast in the third inning to put the game well out of reach.
GAME TWO: #3 UT Tyler: 6, #16 Oklahoma Christian: 1
Game two of the day would see more offense from the Patriots and another strong effort in the circle as the Patriots capped off the sweep.
Cera Blanchard would get the start in game two, but two walks, a single, and a hit by pitch would see the Eagles score their lone run and ultimately chase her from the contest after just two outs. That brought in
Primrose Aholelei, and she got a flyout to end the inning.
In the home half,
Sam Schott drew a hit by pitch, stole second, and then came around to score on a
Taryn Barney double to right field that narrowly missed leaving the yard as the Patriots leveled the game 1-1.
Aholelei worked a 1-2-3 second, and the Patriots responded with another solid inning as a hit by pitch, a single, and a fielder's choice with a throwing error put a pair of runners on second and third. That brought in
JT Smith, who singled to drive home both runners and make it 3-1.
The Eagles attempted a rally in the third with a pair of singles, but Aholelei held steady, striking out a pair of batters in the frame to kept the Eagles off the board.
In the home half of the third, the Patriots offense struck again, this time as
Bailey Krolczyk hammered a pitch over the left field wall for a two run blast, opening up the lead to 5-1. In the fourth,
JT Smith would add to the tally for the final time, as she hit a tape measure homerun over the right field wall to make it 6-1.
Aholelei would be lights out after that third inning, as she faced the minimum in the fourth, fifth, and sixth, and then allowed one two out single in the seventh before capping off the game with a popout.
In total, Aholelei went 6.1 innings while allowing just three hits and striking out four batters. In her outing, only one batter reached second base.
At the plate, both Smith and Barney recorded two hit days, as Smith drove home three and Barney drove home one.
Bailey Krolczyk also added two RBI with her home run.
#3 UT Tyler will get back to work on Sunday as they host Cameron for a doubleheader on what will double as Senior Day for the program. That doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. with Senior Day festivities going between the two games.
