TYLER, TEXAS - #1 UT Tyler softball got a gem in the circle from
Cera Blanchard and a big effort from the offense on their way to a 7-1 win over #5 seed Colorado Christian on Friday afternoon.
Blanchard would total 6.2 innings on Friday, allowing just five hits and one earned run while striking out four. She would sit down the first seven batters of the game, three of which by strikeout. She would lose her perfect game with a one out single in the third, but wiped away the baserunner with a lineout double play to first baseman
Abbie Behe.
Blanchard would work around a double in the fourth with another shutout inning, and then sat the Cougars down in order in the fifth and sixth innings. In the seventh, Colorado Christian got the leadoff batter aboard for the first time all game, and after a strikeout, groundout, and RBI single, they would be on the board. Blanchard would allow one more single before seeing
Primrose Aholelei come in for the final out, a strikeout swinging to end the game.
The Patriots offense backed up the big effort in the circle beginning in the first inning. After
JT Smith drew a hit by pitch, she moved over on a sacrifice bunt and an infield single before
Bailey Krolczyk brought her home on a sacrifice fly.
After being scoreless over the next two frames, the Patriots managed another run in the fourth as
Megan Geyer came around on an
Alaunah Almaraz single to center field to make it 2-0.
The Patriots would open it up in the fifth, led by
Ka'Lyn Watson and
Taryn Barney putting themselves in scoring position after a double and a single. Krolczyk provided the first RBI with a groundout, and Behe would follow with a second groundout as the Patriots lead grew to 4-0.
In the sixth, the Patriots busted the game open. Smith would step to the plate with two outs and hit a rocket home run to right center field to make it 5-0. Watson drew a walk and later scored as
Taryn Barney drove a double into the right center gap. Krolczyk was next up, and she singled to left and brought Barney home to make it 7-0 before the eventual final score of 7-1.
Taryn Barney went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run,
Bailey Krolczyk drove in three while going 1-for-2, and both
JT Smith and
Ka'Lyn Watson scored a pair of runs.
UT Tyler will be back in action on Saturday at 1 p.m. as they look to book their ticket into the NCAA South Central Super Regional. They will take on #4 seed Oklahoma Christian in that contest.
