LAREDO, TEXAS – UT Tyler softball picked up two solid LSC wins on Friday as they swept Texas A&M International with wins of 13-5 and 9-7 to move to 3-1 in LSC play and 11-5 overall.
 
GAME ONE: UT Tyler 13 | Texas A&M International 5
 
The Patriots got hot at the plate in game one, rolling to their fifth run-rule victory of the season behind 13 runs.
 
That scoring got started in the top of the first, with Kaylee Cavazos leading ff with a single before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt. Two batters later it was Kiara Wiedenhaupt ripping a double, making it 1-0. The next batter up was Laci Berecochea, and she doubled the lead with an RBI single.
 
In the second, the Patriots kept it rolling, getting three straight singles after a leadoff hit by pitch to plate their first run as Kaelyn Lerma picked up an RBI. Next up was Taryn Barney, who drove in another run with an RBI sacrifice fly. The Patriots tacked on two more as an error plated two runs, making it 6-0 after two.
 
Kearston Gooch was flawless through two, getting a strikeout and a double play in the first and then working around a single and walk in the second for two straight scoreless frames. The Dustdevils broke through in the third with a pair of RBI singles, and then added one more in the fourth with an RBI groundout to make it 6-3.
 
Both teams went scoreless in the fifth, and the Patriots offense exploded in the top half of the sixth, putting them in position to end the game early. A double led off the frame with Keona Wells, and a single put runners on the corners. A caught stealing led to the first run as Wells dashed home, and after two more singles Taryn Barney would belt a three run home run to make it 10-3. Two batters later, Berecochea followed suit with a two run blast of her own, making it 12-3. The final run would be plated on another error, putting the Patriots up 13-3.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, the Dustdevils drew three walks around a lineout and a strikeout to load the bases, and they then added an RBI walk and an error to plate two runs but ultimately fall short.
 
Kaylee Cavazos went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, while Kiara Wiedenhaupt, Laci Berecochea, and Meagan Lau added two hits each. Taryn Barney led the team with 4 RBI, and Berecochea added three.
 
GAME TWO: UT Tyler 9 | Texas A&M International 7
 
The Patriots struck first again in game two, scoring off of an error in the top of the first inning to move ahead 1-0. However, the Dustdevils had their own answers in the home half, getting to Patriots starter Addison Martindale with a pair of runs as they took a 2-1 lead with an RBI single and a sacrifice fly.
 
UT Tyler answered again to the tune of four runs in the top of the second, leading off the frame with a pair of singles and a hit by pitch before a triple from Kaylee Cavazos cleared the bases. The next batter was Kaelyn Lerma, who reached via error that allowed Cavazos to scamper home.
 
Kaylee Harris took over for Martindale in the first inning to limit the Dustdevils damage, and she worked around two singles and two walks to allow just one run in the second and preserve the Patriots lead. She would post a scoreless third, but the Dustdevils found their way through in the fourth with a pair of runs scoring as they tied the game up at five each after four frames.
 
Both teams went scoreless in the fifth as Kendall Selitzky threw a scoreless frame. The Patriots went scoreless in their half of the sixth, but the Dustdevils took the lead in the home half to put the game on the ropes. Kearston Gooch stepped into the circle to begin the inning, and the Dustdevils got a pair of RBI singles to take a 7-5 lead.
 
In the top of the seventh, the Patriots had their backs against the wall and had the answers, reaching on an error and with a walk before a fielder's choice plated the first run. The next batter up was Dezirae Lopez in a pinch hit effort, who slugged a deep sacrifice fly to right field, tying the game heading into the bottom of the seventh.
 
Gooch came up huge in the bottom of the inning, working around a single and a walk to lead off the inning before posting a strikeout, flyout, and foulout to send the game to extras.
 
Both teams went down in order in the eighth, and the Patriots broke the tie in the ninth to retake the lead as Megan Lau singled through the right side to drive home both Laci Berecochea and Kiara Wiedenhaupt.
 
Gooch got the ball yet again in the home half, and got a flyout, fielder's choice, and a groundout to end the game and give the Patriots the win.
 
Megan Lau went 3-for-5 in game two, posting the game winning RBI and a run. Kaylee Cavazos joined her with two hits, also adding three RBI and two runs.
 
Kearston Gooch picked up her second win of the day, now moving to 7-2 on the year in 10 appearances. She threw four innings of relief with five hits, one run, two walks, and a strikeout.
 
UT Tyler now will play Texas A&M-Kingsville on Sunday at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to wrap up their weekend road trip in South Texas.