ODESSA, TEXAS – UT Tyler softball bounced back in a big way on Sunday to the tune of a pair of wins in scores of 11-0 and 9-1 to move themselves to 17-7 overall and 9-3 in LSC play.
 
GAME ONE: UT Tyler 11 | UT Permian Basin 0
 
The story of game one was dominant pitching and a pair of explosive innings as UT Tyler cruised to the six inning win.
 
After a scoreless first, the Patriots put up seven runs in the second as they took a dominant lead early in the game. A hit by pitch and a walk put two on, and Kaylee Cavazos would reach on an error that allowed the first run to score. Dezirae Lopez added a sacrifice fly, and Cavazos would steal home to quickly make it 3-0.
 
Another error put two more on, and Taryn Barney cashed in both runners with a double to left center before coming around to score on her own via a Kaelyn Lerma RBI single. The final run of the inning would score via Sydney Linn's RBI single, capping off a seven run inning that saw 13 batters come to the plate.
 
Kearston Gooch got the ball to start the game, and put together three strong innings for the Patriots in the circle. She worked around traffic early in the first, allowing a single, walk, and hit by pitch, before getting out of the jam with a big lineout.
 
Gooch went back to work in the second, delivering a 1-2-3 inning. In the third, she was strong again, facing the minimum with a groundout, strikeout, and a flyout to put a bow on her day.
 
She would make way for Addison Martindale in the fourth, and she kept up the strong efforts in the circle. She worked around a pair of singles in the fourth, getting two strikeouts and a flyout to end the frame. In the fifth, she posted the third 1-2-3 inning of the contest for UT Tyler, ending the inning on a strikeout.
 
The Patriots offense added another big frame in the sixth, this time pushing the game into potential run-rule territory. A single and two walks loaded the bases with one out, and Sydney Linn got all of a pitch and barreled it to center field for a grand slam, opening up an 11-0 lead.
 
In the home half, Martindale allowed a walk, but got a strikeout and then an inning ending double play as there was a fielder's choice and then an out via interference to end the contest.
 
Taryn Barney went 1-for-2 with two runs, two RBI, and two walks. Sydney Linn went 2-for-2 with two runs, five RBI, and a walk to lead the team in both hits and RBI.
 
Kearston Gooch picked up her 10^th win of the season after going three innings with one hit, one walk, and one strikeout.
 
Addison Martindale earned her first save of the season after going three innings in relief with two hits, one walk, and four strikeouts.
 
GAME TWO: UT Tyler 9 | UT Permian Basin 1
 
Game two of the day was highlighted by an uptick in offense for UT Tyler, this time posting 13 total hits, and a complete game effort in the circle from Alli Kimball.
 
The Patriots got the scoring started in the first inning as Laci Berecochea drove a two RBI single up the middle after both Cavazos and Lopez singled to lead off the game.
 
Kimball stepped into the circle in the home half, and immediately went 1-2-3 with a strikeout and two groundouts. The Falcons plated their lone run of the game via an RBI single in the second, but Kimball silenced the rally with a popout and a foulout.
 
She went 1-2-3 again in the third, getting three straight groundouts, including two back to herself. In the fourth, she gave up just her third hit of the game, but got three consecutive outs to again keep the Falcons offense to a minimum.
 
While Kimball was dealing in the circle, the Patriots offense kept the bats flowing in the third. After a Cavazos double to lead off the inning, Berecochea drove home her third run of the game with another single. Kiara Wiedenhaupt followed with her own single, and Barney drove home another run with her second double of the day. Kaelyn Lerma would follow with a sacrifice fly to plate Wiedenhaupt, equaling a three run frame for the Patriots.
 
In the fourth, the bats stayed hot, plating another four runs as they pushed the game into run-rule territory. Two singles and a sacrifice bunt put runners on the corners, and Dezirae Lopez drilled a double into the right center gap to plate both runs. Two batters later Wiedenhaupt drove her home with an RBI single and moved up to second. That brought up Barney, who reached on an error that allowed Wiedenhaupt to score, making it 9-1.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Kimball would allow a leadoff walk, but iced the game with a flyout, fielder's choice, and a popout to cap off a Patriots sweep.
 
Cavazos, Lopez, Berecochea, and Wiedenhaupt combined for nine hits on 9-for-16 at the plate. They added six RBI and eight runs, and left just one runner on base combined.
 
Alli Kimball picked up her first win of the season after going all five innings. She allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out one and allowing just one run.
 
UT Tyler will now return home for just their second and third home LSC series of the season. They will host Western New Mexico on Friday, March 13^th and then Sul Ross State on Sunday, March 15^th.