SAN ANGELO, TEXAS – UT Tyler Baseball is headed to Cary! The No. 2 seed Patriots completed a thrilling South Central Super Regional sweep over top-seeded Angelo State on Saturday, walking off a wild 10-9 victory to punch their ticket to the program's first-ever NCAA Division II World Series.
Offense was on full display in Game 2 as the teams combined for 19 runs on 27 hits. UT Tyler continued its red-hot streak at the plate, posting its fifth consecutive game with double-digit runs and 12 or more hits.
Angelo State struck first, scoring three runs in the opening frame with a hit-by-pitch and a single setting the stage for a three-run homer. But the Patriots quickly responded. After two quick outs, a single and a walk set up Bryce Jewell, who roped a double off the wall to drive in both runs and cut the deficit to 3-2.
UT Tyler took its first lead in the second. A leadoff double and a costly sacrifice bunt error set the table for Connor Clark, who delivered an RBI single to put the Patriots ahead 4-3.
The Rams answered right back with two in the third and added two more in the fourth on three singles to go up 7-4.
But the Patriots stormed back once again, putting up four runs in the bottom of the fourth. A leadoff single by Tanner Hornback sparked the rally, and Clark's two-out double plated one. An error kept the inning alive for Drew Schmidt, who launched his second homer of the Super Regional to reclaim the lead at 8-7.
Angelo State wouldn't go quietly, pushing across two runs in the seventh to retake the lead 9-8. UT Tyler responded immediately in the bottom half, tying it at 9 on Hornback's clutch RBI triple with two outs.
Garrett Arredondo shut down the Rams in the ninth, setting the stage for more postseason drama. Schmidt led off the bottom of the ninth with a single, and a throwing error on a ground ball put runners at the corners with no outs. Jewell, down to his final strike, lined a single to center to walk it off and send the Patriots to the World Series.
On the mound, Noah Lindt and Arredondo were key in relief, combining for 6.0 innings and allowing just two runs with seven strikeouts. Lindt tossed 3.1 innings with one run on three hits, improving his ERA to 2.84. Arredondo closed it out with 2.2 innings of one-run ball and earned his fifth win of the season.
Offensively, the Patriots collected 13 hits, including six extra-base hits, with contributions from five different hitters. Clark finished 3-for-5 with a run and RBI, Schmidt went 3-for-5 with three runs and three RBI, and Jewell drove in three, including the game-winner. Hornback had a perfect 4-for-4 day with two runs and one RBI, raising his season average to a team-best .422 with 121 total bases.
With the Super Regional sweep, UT Tyler improves to 48-11 and advances to its first NCAA Division II World Series appearance. The tournament will be held in Cary, North Carolina, with the bracket set to be released in the coming days.
