UT Tyler baseball powers by Fort Smith 11-5 in Game 3 on Friday morning
TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler baseball relied heavily on starter Kolby Parker on Friday, and he delivered with eight strong innings to keep the Patriots out in front on their way to an 11-5 win over UAFS.
UT Tyler Baseball splits home series against UT Permian Basin
Parker began the day by not allowing a run over the first four innings of work, as he posted four total strikeouts in the first half of the contest. In the second, he worked his way around a first and third situation with one out by getting a pick-off and a strikeout to end the frame.
The Patriots offense got a key run to open up the game, as Nathan Carriere came around to score on an RBI single by Blake LaBuda after he drew a leadoff walk.
In the fourth, the Patriots tacked on three more runs, as Kyle Atkinson led off with a single before coming all the way around on a double by Austin Ochoa. Kaston Mason then tacked on an RBI single, and he would later come around to score as Lane Hutchinson drew a bases-loaded hit by pitch.
The Lions finally got on the board in the fifth, as a walk, single, and a fielder’s choice loaded the bases. A wild pitch scored the first run, and a sacrifice fly made it 4-2 in the Patriots favor after five.
In the seventh, the Patriots offense backed up Parker after his scoreless sixth, as they put together five runs on five hits to expand the lead. After a LaBuda double and an Austin Ochoa single put two on, Connor Clark came through with a clutch RBI single. A walk loaded the bases, and the hot bat of Nathan Carriere extended his UT Tyler record hit streak with a tattooed double down the left field line to clear the bases.
Lane Hutchinson would drop in an RBI single to center to plate Carriere, and the Patriots left the inning with a 9-2 lead.
Two more strikeouts came in the seventh for Parker, and the Patriots tacked on two more in the eighth as Kaston Mason lifted a line drive over the left field wall that plated Ochoa for an 11-2 lead.
The Lions got back into the contest in the eighth, as a single, hit by pitch, and then a three run blast with two outs made it 11-5, but that would be as close as they got, as Parker got the final out in the eighth before Brayden Freeman worked a scoreless ninth to give the Patriots the win.
In the contest, both Carriere and Mason drove in a team-high three runs. Both Mason and Ochoa had three hits, with Ochoa going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs scored.
Kolby Parker picked up his third win of the year after going eight innings allowing five hits, five runs, and striking out eight hitters to lead UT Tyler to the win.
The Patriots will now look ahead to Saturday’s series finale at 12 p.m. at Irwin Field.
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