TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler baseball closed out Senior Weekend in dominant fashion, completing a series sweep of Oklahoma Christian with a 12–4 victory Sunday afternoon. The Patriots extended their winning streak to nine games, improving to 37–9 overall while finishing the regular season 19–4 at home and winning 19 of their last 20 contests.
UT Tyler struck first in the second inning after back-to-back singles from Drew Schmidt and Kaston Mason set the table. Bryce Jewell delivered an RBI single through the right side to open the scoring, and a sacrifice fly from Travis Bragg pushed the lead to 2–0.
Oklahoma Christian answered in the third, stringing together three hits to tie the game at 2–2, but the Patriots responded in the fourth. Spencer Simpson sparked the inning with a double before Bragg launched a two-run home run to right field—his fifth of the season—to give UT Tyler a 4–2 advantage.
The Eagles trimmed the deficit to one with a run in the fifth, but the Patriots continued to apply pressure. In the sixth, Mason reached and moved into scoring position before Bragg came through again with an RBI single to extend the lead to 5–3.
UT Tyler added another run in the seventh as Tanner Hornback singled, stole second, and eventually scored on a double play to make it 6–3. Oklahoma Christian got one back in the eighth, but the Patriots put the game out of reach in the bottom half with a six-run explosion.
The inning was highlighted by disciplined at-bats and timely hitting, as Hornback, Cole Ketzner, and Schmidt each drove in runs via bases-loaded situations. Mason capped the rally with a three-run double to left field, stretching the lead to 12–4.
On the mound, Matthew Mackenzie got the start, allowing two runs over 2.2 innings. Jacob Hadden earned the win in relief, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings. Tyler Puckett and Coleson Abel combined to stabilize the middle innings, while Garrett Landry closed the door with a scoreless ninth.
Offensively, the Patriots tallied 12 hits, with Mason leading the way with a three-hit, three-RBI performance. Bragg drove in four runs on two hits, including his fourth-inning homer, while Schmidt and Simpson each recorded multi-hit games.
UT Tyler will now hit the road for a crucial four-game series at St. Mary's beginning April 24. The Patriots need just two wins next weekend to clinch hosting rights for the Lone Star Conference Tournament.
