TYLER, TEXAS – #1 UT Tyler Softball got another lights out performance from Kearston Gooch and got hits from nine different players on the day in a 9-3 defeat of Northeastern State.
 
Gooch's day began with two straight scoreless innings, working around a single in the first and two more in the second. In that second inning, the first three runners reached base, one via error and two via single, but a strikeout, lineout to right field, and a groundout to third closed out the frame.
 
In the bottom of the second, the Patriots offense backed her up, with both Taryn Barney and Laci Berecochea hitting towering solo homers in back-to-back at-bats to make it 2-0. After two straight singles, Kaylee Cavazos added to the tally with an RBI double down the left field line to make it 3-0.
 
The Riverhawks would answer with a run of their own in the third, getting a double and two groundouts to plate their first run. In the top of the fourth, they would add one more, taking advantage of a pair of errors to plate another run and cut the deficit to just one. Gooch responded in the fifth, working a 1-2-3 inning to shut down the momentum.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, the first two Patriots went down in order, but Kiara Wiedenhaupt extended the inning with a single. Next up was Barney, who hit her second homer of the game to make it 5-2. Two batters later, it was Sidney Linn doubling to deep right center field to plate another Patriots run and make it 6-2.
 
The Riverhawks responded with a run in the top of the sixth, after a triple and an RBI single to get them within three. In the bottom half of the inning, the Patriots busted the game open, plating three more runs. The first of which came from Lauren Granger, who hit a deep fly to center for a sacrifice RBI. Three batters later, Berecochea came up big again, driving a single through the right side to plate two more.
 
Gooch would head back out to the circle for the seventh and closed out the game in style, getting three straight groundouts to end the game.
 
Gooch picked up her third win of the season after going all seven innings while scattering seven hits, three runs, two of which were earned, while striking out one.
 
Nine different players had a hit, with Taryn Barney and Laci Berecochea leading the way with two each. They also both had three RBI and two runs scored, while Barney had two homers and Berecochea had one.
 
UT Tyler will cap off the UT Tyler Classic on Monday as they face off with New Mexico Highlands in a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.