AUSTIN, TEXAS – UT Tyler softball moved to 23-7 on the season and 15-3 in LSC play after a pair of low scoring wins on Friday afternoon against St. Edward's on the road.
 
GAME ONE: UT Tyler 4 | St. Edward's 2
 
The Patriots got a pair of big hits from Kaelyn Lerma and a strong performance out of the bullpen from Addison Martindale to take game one.
 
The first of those big hits from Lerma came in the top of the first to push the Patriots in front early. Kaylee Cavazos led off with a single, and three batters later the Patriots loaded the bases with a walk from Laci Berecochea and a single from Taryn Barney.
 
That set up Lerma, who drove a single through the right side to plate two runs and give the Patriots a 2-0 lead.
 
Kearston Gooch got the ball to start the game, and worked around a hit by pitch to get a pair of groundouts and a caught stealing to end the frame. In the second inning however, the Hilltoppers got to Gooch. A walk led off the inning, and a fielder's choice and a sacrifice bunt moved the runner to second with two outs. They followed up with two straight walks to load the bases, and they hit their own single up the middle to plate the two tying runs and chase Gooch from the game.
 
Martindale walked the first batter she faced, but got a groundout to end the inning. She would face just one over the minimum in the third, getting two flyouts and a groundout. In the fourth, she worked around a single and a hit by pitch to again control the traffic.
 
The Patriots offense got rolling again in the fifth, plating two more runs to retake the lead. After a flyout and a fielder's choice around a double, Barney added another single and the throw to third allowed her to move up to second and put two in scoring position. That brought up Lerma, who delivered another big single up the middle to plate both runners.
 
With the lead in hand, Martindale stayed locked down. She worked around a single and walk in the home half, getting two flyouts and a groundout. In the sixth she allowed another walk, but posted two more flyouts and a strikeout. To close out the game, she allowed a leadoff walk, but got a huge popout double play back to herself to eliminate the runner. She would retire the final batter of the game on a groundout, ending the contest with a 4-2 win.
 
Martindale earned her third win of the season after going 5.1 innings in relief while allowing no runs, two hits, five walks, and a strikeout.
 
Kaelyn Lerma had a big day, driving in all four runs after going 2-for-3 at the plate. Taryn Barney also went 2-for-3 on the day, and both Kaylee Cavazos and Dezirae Lopez added hits.
 
GAME TWO: UT Tyler 2 | St. Edward's 0
 
UT Tyler got another brilliant performance in the circle, helping them sweep the day and the season series against the Hilltoppers.
 
Alli Kimball got the ball for game two on the day, and worked herself out of trouble in the first after allowing a double and a walk. In the second, she went 1-2-3, picking up her first strikeout of the game in the process. She kept it rolling in the third, going 1-2-3 yet again to retire her seventh straight batter.
 
The Patriots offense would finally break through in the top of the fourth, scoring two key runs that would provide all of the difference. A leadoff double from Trinity Hale put one in scoring position, and two batters later Megan Lau reached on a fielder's choice that allowed the run to score. Two batters later, Lerma kept up her scorching day at the plate with an RBI single to right field to make it 2-0.
 
Kimball got the first batter of the home half on a flyout, but the Hilltoppers would reach on a double to snap their streak of hitless batters. The next batter would groundout to third, but the Patriots turned it into a double play after the runner at second tried to advance on the throw.
 
She made it four straight innings of facing the minimum in the fifth, retiring the side in order via popout, flyout, and groundout. She would hit the first pitcher of the sixth and allow a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to second, but Kimball stranded that runner with a strikeout and a flyout.
 
After a leadoff walk to begin the bottom of the seventh, Kimball again locked it down with a fielder's choice, strikeout, and groundout to end the game.
 
Alli Kimball went all seven innings while allowing just two hits, two walks, and one hit batter while striking out three.
 
The Patriots offense picked up just three hits, but Lerma added a key RBI and both Keona Wells and Megan Lau added the two runs of the day.
 
UT Tyler will take on St. Mary's to wrap up their road trip weekend on Sunday. Those games begin at 1 p.m. in San Antonio.