TYLER, TEXAS – The UT Tyler baseball program delivered a dominant all-around performance Sunday afternoon, shutting out UT Permian Basin 10-0 to close out the series at home.
The Patriots were efficient at the plate with 10 hits while capitalizing on miscues, and the pitching staff was nearly untouchable, allowing just one hit in the contest.
Matthew Mackenzie got the start and set the tone early, working four scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and striking out four to earn his first win of the season. The right-hander faced minimal traffic and kept UTPB off balance throughout his outing.
UT Tyler struck first in the bottom of the opening inning as Kaston Mason delivered an RBI triple to center field, bringing home Brock Bearden for the early 1-0 advantage. The Patriots added to their lead in the third, taking advantage of a wild pitch that allowed Mason to score and extend the lead to 2-0.
After a quiet fourth, UT Tyler broke things open in the fifth inning. With two outs, the Patriots capitalized on a pair of errors before Luke Smith delivered a clutch two-RBI single to center, pushing the lead to 4-0.
The momentum carried into the sixth as UT Tyler plated three more runs. Mason drove in a run with a single, Tanner Hornback added an RBI on a sacrifice fly, and Drew Schmidt followed with an RBI double down the left field line to extend the lead to 7-0.
UT Tyler continued to apply pressure in the seventh, scoring two more runs on a throwing error that allowed Connor Clark to score and later come around himself, making it 9-0. The Patriots capped off the scoring in the eighth as Hornback crossed the plate on a wild pitch to secure the 10-0 shutout victory.
Mason led the offense with a strong performance, finishing with two hits, including a triple, and two RBIs. Clark and Bearden each added multi-hit games at the top of the lineup, while Smith drove in two runs.
Out of the bullpen, Coleson Abel, Tyler Puckett, and Noah Lindt combined to allow no hits over the final four innings while striking out four to preserve the shutout.
UT Tyler improves its momentum heading into its next series, where the Patriots will take on UT Dallas.
