TYLER, TEXAS – #1 UT Tyler softball got the bats going in a big way on Saturday afternoon as they took a 13-7 win over (RV) Hillsdale College and an 8-0 win over Northeastern State.
 
GAME ONE: #1 UT Tyler 13 | (RV) Hillsdale College 7
 
Game one of the day featured potent offenses from both sides, with each team combining for 18 of their 20 runs in just the first four innings.
 
The Patriots struck first, picking up three singles and taking advantage of two errors and a wild pitch to plate three runs total in the inning as Laci Berecochea recorded the lone RBI. The Chargers answered in the second, plating a pair of runs on two doubles and a single, cutting the deficit to one.
 
The Patriots kept that offense rolling in the second to the tune of three more runs, getting an RBI groundout from Kaelyn Lerma and two RBI walks from Taryn Barney and Berecochea.
 
A solo blast from the Chargers plated their own run in the third, but the Patriots responded with two RBI doubles, one each from Kaylee Cavazos and Lerma, and then a three run blast from Barney to blow the game open and make it 11-3 after three.
 
Hillsdale College battled back with three runs on four hits in the fourth, cutting the lead down to five. The Patriots answered again, getting an RBI sacrifice fly to plate Megan Lau.
 
They would add one more run in the sixth, getting two singles and a wild pitch before Berlyn Grossman scampered home on a steal. That last run countered one final run from the Chargers in their half of the sixth, and the Patriots capped off the contest with a foulout, groundout, and a flyout to end the game.
 
Kaylee Cavazos went 4-for-5 with three runs, an RBI, and a double. Layne Reh went 3-for-3 with two runs scored. Kaelyn Lerma went 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBI along with a double and a sacrifice fly.
 
Kaylee Harris picked up her first win of the season after going 2.1 innings in relief while spreading out four hits and four runs.
 
GAME TWO: #1 UT Tyler 8 | Northeastern State 0
 
The Patriots offense was slow to start, but they came on strong over the final two innings to push the Patriots to a run-rule win.
 
UT Tyler got a brilliant start from Kearston Gooch, who went all five innings while scattering five hits and posting five strikeouts. She worked a hitless first while allowing just one baserunner, and worked around two singles in the second, getting a strikeout and a big caught stealing.
 
The Riverhawks led off with a double in the third, but a heads up play from Lerma at shortstop cut down the runner as she tried to go to third. Gooch responded with a strikeout, but that runner reached on a wild pitch. She would then close out the inning with two groundouts.
 
After a 1-2-3 top of the fourth, the Patriots offense got rolling in the home half. Three straight doubles led to two runs, one each from Kiara Wiedenhaupt, Barney, and Trinity Hale, pushing the Patriots out in front to back up the stellar start from Gooch.
 
The Riverhawks got two more singles in the fifth, but Gooch posted two strikeouts and a harmless flyout to right field. That brought up the bats, who loaded the bases on two walks and a hit by pitch. That brought up Berecochea, who laced a single to center field to plate two more runs and double the lead. Two more walks and another hit by pitch brought home two more runs, making it 6-0.
 
Cavazos stepped to the plate with the bases loaded, and a single to left field plated one more run and got the Patriots to a seven run lead and on the doorstep of the win. They didn't wait long, as Lerma flew out to left field and deep enough to serve as a sacrifice fly as Layne Reh rolled home to cap off the win.
 
Gooch moved to 2-2 on the year with the complete game win, throwing just 67 total pitches in the outing.
 
Six different Patriots recorded a hit, led by Cavazos who went 2-for-3 with an RBI. All eight runs were scored by a different player, and seven of the eight RBI's were by a different player as Berecochea was the only one who finished with two.
 
UT Tyler goes back to action tomorrow afternoon as they take on Northeastern State in their only game of the day on Sunday.