Softball jumps to 14 after split with Lousiana College

The UT Tyler softball team split for the first time this season in the American Southwest Conference Tuesday in a doubleheader against No. 5 ranked Louisiana College at UT Ballpark.

The Patriots lose the first game (8-5) after falling behind early in the second inning.

The Lady Cats take the lead and held it for the rest of the game with four runs off three hits.

M’Lynn Tillery relieved Katelyn Thomason in the fourth inning, coming in with bases loaded.

The Patriot defense provided a double play up the middle, ending the inning and the LC rally.

In the bottom of the fourth, Brittney Batten got the Patriots on the board with a two-run home run scoring Joey Cronin.

“One game can make a difference,” Patriot softball head coach Mike Reed said. “It is 24 opportunities to get wins, and we are just trying to get as many as we can right now.”

The Lady Cats finished their scoring with Jaeger’s two-run homer.

The Patriots answer back with their own 2-run homer from Batten in the bottom of the sixth to conclude UT’s scoring.

Batten led the Patriots in the first game going 2-for-3 with 4 RBIs.  The Lady Cats outhit the Patriots 14 to 5 to take the win.

In the second game, the Patriots were out hit 11-7 but managed to earn the victory, 9-5.

The Lady Cats took the first lead again with three runs off four hits in the top of the first.

The Patriots closed the top of the inning leaving bases loaded stopping a potential rally.

The Patriots followed up with scoring of their own, plating Cronin with Whitney Wyly’s two-run homer.

The Patriots also left the bases loaded at the end of first.

In the bottom of the third, Brittanni Hanna doubled, scoring Cronin and Jessie Bross to help the Patriots take their first lead of the game, 6-5
“It was a great effort to bounce back in the second game,” Reed said.

The Patriots went on to score in four other innings. Wyly lead the team, going 1-for-2 at the plate with 3 RBIs.

Sunday morning the Patriots took on Chapman University in a non-conference doubleheader.

Chapman’s Courtney James gave the University a scare in the first game, tying the Patriots 7-7 in the top of the seventh with a two-run home run.

Kristen Anderson stole the victory, scoring from third on a wild pitch.

Due to Chapman’s flight arrangements, the second game was played drop-dead style, five innings or one hour, whichever came first.

The game does count as a win for the Patriots because five innings were completed.

The University improved to 21-3 overall and a 7-1 record in the ASC. They remain tied with East Texas Baptist University for the top spot in the ASC East.

The ASC West also has a tie for first: Mary Hardin-Baylor University and Hardin Simmons are deadlocked at 8-0.

In the national rankings, the Patriots jumped two spots to 14. Louisiana College stayed put in the rankings at fifth.

The Patriots are on the road Wednesday, taking on Mississippi College. The team returns home on April 2 for another ASC series with East Texas Baptist University.