#4 Patriots Drop Heartbreaker to #17 Ozarks
March 20, 2008

The 4th-ranked University of Texas at Tyler baseball team lost just its fourth game of the season on Thursday evening at Irwin Field to No. 17 Ozarks, 6-4. This was the first American Southwest Conference loss of the season for the Patriots. The loss also marked the end of UT Tyler’s 41-game home win streak.

The Patriots jumped out an early lead 1-0 in the first inning, as junior Kendall Fox (Carrollton, Texas) scored off of a single by junior Jeremy Harding (Houston, Texas). Fox, who went 1-for-2 on the day with three walks, would score three of the Patriots’ four runs on the day.

UT Tyler extended its lead to 4-1 in the in the bottom of the sixth, when junior Jared Hood (Marshall, Texas) doubled down the left field line, scoring senior Clay Baker (Henderson, Texas) and Fox.

But in the seventh, Ozarks shortstop Cory Briggs homered over the left-field wall to tie the game at four all. In the bottom of the eighth, the Eagles scored two more runs to take a 6-4 lead that they would never relinquish.

Designated hitter and relief pitcher Robby Finnell picked up the win for Ozarks, while John Scheuring earned the save. Junior Beau Ziegler (N. Wales, Pa.) was credited with his firs loss of the season for the Patriots, giving up two runs off of two hits while striking out three batters over 2.1 innings of work.

With the loss, UT Tyler falls to 19-4 on the year and 3-1 in conference action, while the Eagles improve to 19-3 and 6-1 in the ASC East.

Both teams will return to Irwin Field on Friday afternoon for a doubleheader that will begin at 1 p.m.

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