CANYON, TEXAS – The UT Tyler baseball program split Saturday's doubleheader with West Texas A&M, dropping game one 4-3 before bouncing back with a 3-2 victory in game two to set up a decisive series finale on Sunday. The Patriots scored three runs on five hits in each game as the combined score across the two contests finished even at 6-6.
GAME ONE
The Patriots fell 4-3 in the opening game after West Texas A&M used a two-run sixth inning to secure the win. UT Tyler finished with three runs on five hits.
Neither team was able to generate offense in the first inning, but both lineups broke through in the second. A leadoff walk followed by a bunt single put two runners on for Tanner Chelette, who delivered a double to right center to give the Patriots a 2-0 lead. The Buffs answered in the bottom half of the inning after two singles and an RBI groundout cut the lead to one.
UT Tyler went down in order in the third, and West Texas A&M capitalized in its half of the inning. Three singles in the frame tied the game at two.
The Patriots quickly responded in the fourth when Cole Ketzner drove in a run with an RBI single to regain a 3-2 advantage.
The game remained quiet until the bottom of the sixth when the Buffs delivered the deciding runs. A leadoff error started the inning, and a single immediately after tied the game at three. A sacrifice bunt moved the runner into scoring position before an RBI double gave West Texas A&M the eventual 4-3 lead.
Julio Garcia was the lone pitcher used by the Patriots in game one, throwing six innings while allowing three earned runs and striking out four. The outing marked his third consecutive quality start and continued a strong stretch in doubleheaders, where he has now thrown 18 of a possible 19 innings across his last three.
Four Patriots recorded hits in the contest, with Tanner Hornback leading the way with a 2-for-2 performance and a run scored. Chelette and Ketzner accounted for all three RBIs with two and one respectively.
GAME TWO
Game two followed a similar script offensively, but this time the Patriots delivered the final blow in a 3-2 victory. UT Tyler once again scored three runs on five hits, though none of the runs came directly off a base hit.
Both teams were retired in order in the first inning as Patriots starter Ethan Jezierski struck out two batters, one looking and one swinging.
UT Tyler struck first in the second inning, plating two runs with the help of an error. A leadoff error, walk, and single loaded the bases before Travis Bragg drew an RBI walk to bring in the first run. Brock Bearden followed with another bases-loaded walk to push the lead to 2-0.
Jezierski kept the momentum going in the bottom half, working around a leadoff walk before inducing a double play to face the minimum.
West Texas A&M answered in the third after a one-out walk and single put runners aboard. An RBI groundout brought in the first run before a single tied the game at two.
The Patriots reclaimed the lead in the fourth when a leadoff single and a one-out double moved runners into scoring position before an RBI groundout gave UT Tyler a 3-2 advantage.
Jezierski exited after 3.1 innings, allowing two runs before turning the game over to the bullpen. Colseon Abel and Garrett Landry shut the door from there.
Abel improved to 4-0 after tossing three innings of no-hit baseball while striking out four. The right-hander lowered his ERA to an impressive 0.86 across 21 innings this season. Landry recorded the final two outs to secure his team-leading fourth save of the year.
Offensively, the Patriots again had four players record a hit. Cole Ketzner led the way with the only multi-hit performance, going 2-for-3 with a run scored. Bearden drove in two runs while Bragg added the other RBI.
UT Tyler moves to 16-5 on the season and will look to secure the series against the Buffs on Sunday with first pitch scheduled for noon.
