By CHASE UPTON/Contributor
The University of Texas at Tyler’s nationally ranked baseball team opened the Lone Star Conference Tournament May 4 with a near-perfect sweep of Texas A&M-Kingsville, winning the first game 10-1 and securing a 10-0 run-rule victory in seven innings in Game 2.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
UT Tyler entered the Lone Star Conference tournament following a regular season that was nothing short of dominant. The team finished 41-9 overall and 40-8 in conference play to earn the No. 2 seed and home-field advantage for the opening series of the tournament.
The Patriots were ranked in the Top 5 in all three major national polls, coming in at No. 5 in both the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and D2 Baseball polls, and No. 3 in the American Baseball Coaches Association Poll. Their 41 wins set a program record, surpassing the 40 victories from their 2018 season, the year they captured the NCAA Division III national championship.
Texas A&M-Kingsville entered the series as the No. 7 seed after finishing the season 27-23 overall and 26-22 in LSC play.
GAME 1
The Patriots took full advantage of their home-field edge in the opening game, as ace Rawley Hector delivered a dominant performance on the mound and the Patriots exploded offensively to secure the 10-1 victory.
Hector was nearly untouchable, retiring the first 15 batters he faced and allowing just one unearned run over seven innings. He struck out five, did not issue a walk and surrendered just one hit.
The Patriots broke through in the fourth inning when Kaston Mason launched a 385-foot, two-run home run to right-center following a leadoff walk by Drew Schmidt. Mason’s ninth home run of the season gave the Patriots a 2-0 lead.
Schmidt again sparked a rally in the fifth, drawing a two-out walk, and Bryce Jewell drove him in with an RBI single to left, extending the lead to 3-0.
Texas A&M-Kingsville pushed across its only run in the sixth, capitalizing on a UT Tyler error to break up Hector’s perfect game and no-hit bid.
But the Patriots wasted no time responding, exploding for five runs in the bottom of the seventh. Schmidt scored his third run of the game on an RBI groundout by Blake Labuda to make it 4-1.
Tanner Hornback’s sacrifice fly brought in Ethan Menard to make it 5-1, and Mason Hammonds cleared the bases with a double into the right-center gap, extending the lead to 8-1.
In the eighth, the Patriots added to their lead as Schmidt doubled to start the inning, and Jewell followed with a two-run home run, his third hit and third RBI of the game, making it 10-1.
Schmidt, who scored his fourth run of the game on the homer, marked the third time this season he has scored four runs in a game.
After Rawley Hector’s dominant outing, Nick Niebur tossed a scoreless eighth, and Julio Garcia completed the game with a perfect ninth to seal the 10-1 victory.
Hector earned his eighth win of the season and the Patriots took a 1-0 series lead.
GAME 2
Right-hander Kyle Froehlich delivered a stellar outing, tossing six shutout innings while allowing just four hits and striking out seven. He faced minimal trouble, navigating around a pair of early baserunners and retiring the Javelinas in order in two of his six frames.
UT Tyler opened the scoring in the first inning when Jewell brought home Hammonds with an RBI fielder’s choice.
In the second, Kyle Atkinson was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a single from Tanner Hornback. Brock Bearden then laid down a bunt single, and a throwing error on the play allowed Atkinson to score, making it 2-0.
Justin Williams followed with a two-RBI single into right field, scoring Hornback and Bearden to extend the lead to 4-0.
In the third, Mason led off with a triple and came home on a sacrifice fly from Jewell, pushing the score to 5-0.
The Patriots tacked on another run in the fifth when Schmidt launched a solo home run to left, his fourth of the year, making it 6-0. UT Tyler continued to pressure Kingsville, loading the bases later in the inning, but reliever Daniel Cardona escaped further damage by coming in and dotting a pair of outs for the Javelinas.
Kyle Froehlich ran into slight trouble in the sixth, giving up a hit-by-pitch and a single, but a mound visit from head coach Brent Porche helped Froehlich lock back in. The senior righty induced a pair of popups to keep Kingsville off the board and complete his six-inning outing.
UT Tyler put the game away in the seventh. Jewell singled up the middle and later scored on a two-out RBI single from Atkinson to make it 7-0. A standup double from Hornback put two runners in scoring position, and Bearden was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Atkinson and Hornback then scored on back-to-back wild pitches to make it 9-0, and Justin Williams ended the game with a walk-off RBI single down the left field line, scoring Bearden and sealing a 10-0 run-rule victory.
Froehlich picked up the win to improve to 9-0 on the year, as the Patriots completed a dominant sweep of the No. 7 seed Javelinas, outscoring them 20-1 across the two-game series.
The victory marked UT Tyler’s 43rd win of the season and extended its winning streak to 16 games, with the team’s last loss dating back to late March.
UP NEXT
With the win, UT Tyler advances to the Lone Star Conference Championship Double-Elimination Tournament in San Angelo along with St. Edward’s (34-19), Lubbock Christian (33-19), and host Angelo State (41-7).
The tournament will run May 8-10 at Foster Field at 1st Community Credit Union Stadium, with the Patriots’ first game scheduled for 2 p.m. May 8, against St. Edwards, whom they were 3-1 against in the regular season.
UT Tyler travels to San Angelo still seeking its first Lone Star Conference Tournament title.
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