TYLER, TEXAS – The UT Tyler baseball program claimed its fifth straight series opener with a 9–4 victory over Eastern New Mexico on Friday night. The Patriots scored eight of their nine runs over the final three innings while piling up 13 hits in the win.
Both offenses started slowly in the opener with limited opportunities early. The Patriots broke through in the bottom of the third as two singles opened the inning before a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position. Drew Schmidt then lifted a sacrifice fly to give UT Tyler a 1–0 lead.
Eastern New Mexico answered quickly in the fourth with three runs to take control. Three consecutive singles tied the game at 1–1, and a walk later in the inning followed by another single pushed the Greyhounds ahead 3–1 after the top of the fourth. The visitors added another run in the sixth after a walk, wild pitch, and RBI single down the right-field line extended the lead to 4–1.
The Patriots' offense responded in the bottom of the sixth and never looked back. Tanner Hornback opened the inning with a triple and came home on a Cole Ketzner single. A single, a failed pickoff attempt, and a sacrifice fly trimmed the deficit to 4–3. A walk and fielder's choice tied the game before Kaston Mason delivered an RBI single to give UT Tyler a 5–4 advantage.
Jacob Morgan entered in the middle of the sixth and helped shut the door on the Greyhounds, facing the minimum in the seventh thanks to a double play. The Patriots added insurance in their half of the inning as a leadoff double came around to score on a Brock Bearden RBI single. Connor Clark then delivered the big swing of the night, launching his first home run of the season to drive in two and extend the lead to 8–4. Morgan followed with a quick 1-2-3 inning in the eighth, and UT Tyler added its final run after two errors set up another RBI single from Ketzner to make it 9–4.
Morgan closed out the game to earn his first win of the season, tossing 3.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts on 49 pitches.
Offensively, seven Patriots recorded at least one hit and five finished with multiple. Clark led the way with three RBI while going 2-for-4 and scoring twice. Ketzner added a three-hit performance in five at-bats with two RBI and two runs scored. Bearden reached base four times, finishing 2-for-2 with two walks, two runs scored, and an RBI.
With the win, the Patriots improve to 17–6 on the season and take sole possession of first place in the LSC. UT Tyler returns to the field Saturday for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. as it looks to secure the series before Sunday's finale.
