CARY, NORTH CAROLINA – UT Tyler Baseball dropped its opening game of the NCAA Division II World Series on Saturday afternoon, falling 4-1 to Northwest Nazarene. The Patriots tallied eight hits but were limited to a single run.

Justin Williams provided the lone highlight for UT Tyler with a solo home run in the ninth inning, setting a new single-season program record with his 15th blast of the year.

The Nighthawks struck first with a two-out RBI single up the middle in the opening frame. After both teams went down in order in the bottom of the first and top of the second, UT Tyler's Kaston Mason led off the second with a double smoked down the line, but three quick outs ended the threat.

Northwest Nazarene extended their lead to 2-0 in the fourth with a solo home run following a lengthy at-bat. The Patriots nearly responded in the bottom half of the inning, loading the bases with three two-out singles, but a foul out to first base ended the inning without a run.

The Nighthawks tacked on insurance runs in the sixth and seventh innings. In the sixth, a walk, two stolen bases, and a triple to left-center brought home their third run. In the seventh, two singles and a double play pushed the score to 4-0.

Williams finally broke through for UT Tyler in the ninth, launching a solo homer with an exit velocity of 100 mph over the left field wall, accounting for the Patriots' only run and RBI.

Mason and Blake LaBuda were the only Patriots with multi-hit performances. Mason went 2-for-4 with a double and a single, while LaBuda finished 2-for-3. Williams' homer was his only hit of the game.

Starting pitcher Rawley Hector went 4.2 innings, allowing two runs on six hits and falling to 10-2 on the season. Julio Garcia closed out the final 1.2 innings, giving up just one hit and no runs.

The Patriots fall to 48-12 and will face the loser of Saturday night's Tampa–Felician matchup. That elimination game is scheduled for Monday at 12:30 p.m.