TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler baseball opened its first four-game series of the season against Texas A&M International with a Friday afternoon doubleheader, as the Patriots dominated the Dustdevils and outscored them 20–0 after the first inning of game one, highlighted by a shutout victory in game two.
GAME ONE
The Patriots rallied from an early three-run deficit and shut down the Dustdevils the rest of the way to claim game one of the doubleheader, 6–3. UT Tyler scored six runs on 10 hits while the bullpen was dominant, recording all 21 outs and allowing no runs after the first inning.
The Dustdevils jumped out quickly when a leadoff walk advanced to second on a wild pitch and came around to score on a double down the line. After a pitching change brought
Coleson Abel out of the bullpen, the Dustdevils added two more runs on an RBI double and RBI single to take a 3–0 lead after the opening frame.
The Patriots answered immediately in the bottom half. A two-out walk sparked a rally, followed by a single and another walk to load the bases for
Tanner Hornback. The second baseman lined a two-run single into right field to cut the deficit to one.
Abel settled in during the second, retiring the side in order to swing momentum back to the Patriots.
Brock Bearden led off the inning with a perfectly placed bunt single, and another hit later put runners on the corners for
Drew Schmidt. Schmidt delivered the biggest swing of the game, launching his first home run of the season to give the Patriots a 5–3 advantage.
Abel continued to cruise, working around two singles in the third and keeping the Dustdevils off the board in both the fourth and fifth innings. He struck out four batters across those two frames. The Patriots added an insurance run in the fifth after loading the bases with two singles and a walk, and
Cole Ketzner drove in a run with an RBI single down the line to extend the lead to 6–3.
Jacob Morgan took over in the sixth and navigated around a single and a hit batter to preserve the three-run cushion. After recording one out in the seventh, he handed the ball to
Garrett Landry with two runners aboard. Landry induced a lineout and a groundout to secure his third consecutive save.
The Patriots' bullpen combined for seven innings, allowing just one run on six hits. Abel headlined the effort with five strong innings and six strikeouts to earn his second win in relief, while Landry collected his third save of the season and remains the only Patriot with a save.
Seven Patriots recorded hits in the victory, highlighted by multi-hit performances from Hornback and
Kaston Mason. Hornback finished a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBIs, while Mason went 2-for-3 and scored twice in game one.
GAME TWO
The Patriots carried their momentum from game one into game two, capping the doubleheader with a dominant 14–0 shutout of the Dustdevils. UT Tyler erupted for seven runs in the first inning and added five more in the sixth, while the pitching staff combined for a three-hit shutout to secure the sweep.
Julio Garcia set the tone early, striking out two in a clean first inning. The Patriots' offense quickly followed suit, loading the bases with two outs and capitalizing on a Dustdevil error to spark a huge rally.
Brock Bearden drove in the second run with an RBI single,
Tanner Chelette followed with a two-run single, and
Luke Smith lined a double down the line to extend the lead to 6–0.
Connor Clark added another RBI single to cap a seven-run inning, all scored with two outs.
Garcia cruised through the second and third innings, allowing just two baserunners while striking out three. The Patriots added to their lead in the third when a wild pitch with runners in scoring position pushed the advantage to 8–0. Garcia responded with another efficient inning, retiring the Dustdevils in order.
In the fifth,
Drew Schmidt lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home a run and make it 9–0. Garcia then handed the ball to
Will Johnson, who worked around a leadoff walk in his first appearance of the season and struck out two while retiring the next three batters.
UT Tyler put the game out of reach in the sixth, scoring five runs on just two hits. Three consecutive one-out walks loaded the bases before
Spencer Simpson delivered a pinch-hit RBI to make it 11–0.
Travis Bragg followed with an RBI single, and a sequence that included a hit-by-pitch, a walk, and a wild pitch accounted for the Patriots' final runs of the afternoon.
Brody Logsdon closed the game by facing the minimum in the final inning to preserve the shutout.
Seven Patriots recorded hits, with Smith leading the way with a 2-for-3 performance that included three runs scored and two RBIs. The pitching staff limited the Dustdevils to three hits and struck out eight, highlighted by Garcia's five scoreless innings and six strikeouts to earn his first win of the season.
With the sweep, the Patriots improved to 7–1, the program's best start since joining Division II and surpassing last season's 6–1 mark. After allowing three runs in the opening inning of the doubleheader, UT Tyler pitching responded with 13 consecutive scoreless innings. The Patriots will look to secure the series victory tomorrow at 6 p.m. against the Dustdevils.
