University of Texas at Tyler Athletics

CARY, N.C. – No. 5 UT Tyler's run through the winner's bracket came to an end Sunday evening as the Patriots dropped an 8-2 decision to No. 1 West Chester in the first-ever meeting between the two programs at the NCAA Division II College World Series.

Despite the final score, the Patriots had opportunities throughout the night. UT Tyler put at least one runner on base in every inning except the ninth, finished with 15 runners left on base and went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position while leaving the bases loaded three separate times.

West Chester struck quickly in the opening inning. The Golden Rams collected six hits and plated five runs in the first before adding another run in the second to build a 6-0 advantage.

The Patriots threatened in the bottom of the first after Tanner Hornback and Cole Ketzner recorded back-to-back singles, but West Chester escaped the inning and carried its early momentum into the middle frames.

After the Golden Rams added a run in the fourth to make it 7-0, UT Tyler finally broke through in the bottom half. Drew Schmidt reached after being hit by a pitch before Kaston Mason lined a double to center field to put runners on second and third with nobody out. Luke Smith's groundout nearly produced the Patriots' first run, but Schmidt was cut down at the plate. UT Tyler continued to battle, loading the bases before Connor Clark drew an RBI walk and Brock Bearden followed with an RBI hit by pitch to trim the deficit to 7-2.

The Patriots continued to pressure West Chester pitching throughout the night. They loaded the bases again in the fifth inning after walks from Schmidt, Mason and Spencer Simpson, but the Golden Rams escaped with a strikeout to preserve the five-run lead.

UT Tyler put runners aboard in eight consecutive innings and collected seven hits, but timely pitching and defense from West Chester prevented the Patriots from delivering the big hit they needed.

While the offense searched for answers, the Patriots bullpen turned in an outstanding performance after the difficult start. Jacob Hadden entered in the second inning and stabilized the game, allowing just one run across 4.2 innings while striking out two.

Noah Lindt followed with another strong outing, permitting one run over 1.2 innings while recording four strikeouts, and Klayton Wingfield closed the night with a scoreless ninth inning.

The trio combined to hold the nation's top seed to just two runs over the final 7.1 innings after West Chester scored six times in the opening two frames.

Luke Smith led the Patriots offensively with two hits, while Hornback, Ketzner, Bearden, Clark and Mason each added one hit. Mason's fourth-inning double was UT Tyler's lone extra-base hit of the contest.

With the loss, UT Tyler falls to 49-13 on the season and moves into the elimination bracket. The Patriots have already survived three elimination games during the 2026 postseason and will face No. 4 Central Missouri on Tuesday in a rematch of their College World Series opener with their season on the line.