Baseball Downs MC to Advance
May 3, 2008

ABILENE, Texas – Facing elimination, The University of Texas at Tyler rebounded from a Friday loss to eliminate Mississippi College in a 6-3 win at Walt Driggers Field Saturday. UT Tyler and MC both lost their respective opening games in the American Southwest Conference Championship Round Friday but the Patriots avoided elimination and will play the loser of the winner’s bracket game between Concordia-Texas and McMurry at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Brett Holland moved to 11-0 on the season and struck out nine in a complete game for the Patriots while Joseph Towns drove in three runs to help lead UT Tyler. Andrew Damewood helped the Patriots to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first when he hit a 2-run homer off MC starter Nathan Stewart.

However, the Choctaws countered when Reed Prewitt knocked a two-run home run of his own in the bottom of the second to knot the score. UT Tyler didn’t take long to re-gain the advantage with Towns hitting a solo shot in the third and Corey Farra singled home a run to make the score 4-2.

MC got one more run in the bottom of the sixth with Will Reed scoring on a Max Parks single. However, the Choctaws couldn’t muster up any more offense and the Patriots added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning thanks to a 2-run single from Towns.

Mississippi College’s Nathan Stewart kept the Choctaws in the game through eight innings. However, both runs in the ninth were Stewart’s responsibility after he was lifted before recording an out. Stewart finished by allowing nine hits, six runs, four walks and had two strikeouts in his final appearance of 2008.

Holland, the ASC’s leader in strikeouts, fanned nine and after giving up Prewitt’s homer, he sat down eight in a row to slow the Choctaws’ momentum. Holland also set down 10 of the last 11 batters he faced.

UT Tyler improved to 36-8 on the season while MC ended its season with a 24-20 record after making its ASC-record ninth appearance in the conference tournament.

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