TYLER, TEXAS – The UT Tyler baseball program moved to 18-7 on the season after splitting their third consecutive doubleheader this time against Eastern New Mexico. The Patriots cruised to a 15-3 win in game one behind a dominant offensive performance but fell 6-4 in game two despite bringing the tying and go-ahead runs to the plate in the final inning.
GAME ONE
The Patriots claimed the first half of the doubleheader behind a monster offensive performance, scoring 15 runs on 14 hits. UT Tyler plated two or more runs in four of their six offensive innings to secure the 15-3 victory.
Julio Garcia took the mound for the Patriots and set the tone early, retiring the Greyhounds in order in the first inning with two strikeouts. The Patriots answered in the bottom half when a one-out walk came around to score on a two-out double from Kaston Mason. Tanner Hornback followed with an RBI single to give UT Tyler a 2-0 lead after one.
Garcia again retired the Greyhounds in order in the second, adding another strikeout. The Patriots were held scoreless in the inning but added two more runs in the third. A walk, Mason single, and another Hornback RBI single pushed the lead to 3-0 before a sacrifice fly later in the inning made it 4-0.
Eastern New Mexico got on the board in the fourth with an unearned run after back-to-back two-out singles and an error allowed a run to score, cutting the lead to 4-1. UT Tyler responded immediately with an eight-run, six-hit inning to blow the game open. A leadoff single came around to score on a Connor Clark double, and Clark later scored on an infield single. An error, a walk, and another Mason double extended the lead to 7-1. A sacrifice fly and two wild pitches pushed the score to 10-1 before two more runs crossed on singles to cap the inning at 12-1.
The Greyhounds added a run in the inning on a double and single, but the Patriots extended their lead later in the game as two hit-by-pitches, a Lane Epperson double, and a sacrifice fly helped make it 15-2. Eastern New Mexico scored the final run of the game with a walk and RBI double to bring the score to its final of 15-3.
Garcia earned his third win of the season, tossing four innings while allowing just one earned run and striking out six. The bullpen finished the game strong as Ethan Stone, Sam Nitzke, and Ryan Lawton combined for the final three innings, allowing just three hits and one run while striking out four.
GAME TWO
In the second game of the doubleheader, the Patriots fell 6-4 after being outhit 10-5. Eastern New Mexico took advantage of a five-run first inning and held the lead the rest of the way.
The Greyhounds struck early after a leadoff single eventually moved to third following a failed pickoff attempt. A groundout brought home the first run before three straight singles extended the lead to 2-0. An error added another run, and a two-RBI single capped the inning to make it 5-0 after the first.
Both teams were quiet offensively over the next several innings until the Greyhounds added an insurance run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 6-0.
The Patriots began to rally in the bottom half of the sixth. A one-out error started the inning before Tanner Hornback delivered a two-out single to put runners on base for Cole Ketzner. Ketzner then launched a three-run home run over the left-field fence to cut the deficit to 6-3.
UT Tyler threatened again in the seventh by bringing the tying and go-ahead runs to the plate. A double and walk opened the inning before a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. Another walk loaded the bases with no outs. A fielder's choice brought home one run, but the Greyhounds recorded the final two outs to secure the 6-4 win.
The Patriots recorded five hits in the game from five different players. Ketzner finished 1-for-3 with three RBIs and his fifth home run of the season. Dylan Blomquist added a pinch-hit double in the seventh to finish 1-for-1.
UT Tyler will look to secure the series on Sunday when the Patriots host Eastern New Mexico at 1 p.m.
