Willard Paces Patriots to First Win of 2010 over UT-Dallas, 9-5
February 6, 2010
TYLER – In his first career start for UT Tyler after transferring over from ETBU, junior left-hander Chase Willard lasted 7.1 innings, scattering four runs and seven hits, and turned the ball over to the bullpen the rest of the way in picking up his and the Patriots first win of the 2010 season over UT-Dallas, 9-5.
The top three hitters in the UT Tyler lineup combined to go 8-for-13 with five of the eight runs driven in, led by senior outfielder Keenan Duke (pictured right) who went 3-for-5 in the leadoff spot with a run scored.
After falling behind early in a season-opening loss to UMHB, the Patriots were the ones who started swining the bats early against UT-Dallas, taking a 6-1 lead into the 7th inning and scoring the game's first four runs with two apiece in the 3rd and 4th innings.
Austin Newell's single with one down in the third led to the Patriots' first run, stealing second and scoring a batter later thanks to Cody Jones' RBI-double to left center. Following a T.J. Martin walk, Justin Juneau picked up his first RBI as a Patriot by way of a single through the right side that scored Jones.
The Patriots stretched their lead to 4-0 with two more in the 4th, using a leadoff walk, followed by an Aaron McCain sacrifice bunt to put a runner at second with one out. Jared Barnett then reached on an error that scored Jordon Vierra from second and Newell capped the scoring with a sac fly to center that scored Barnett.
UT-Dallas (0-1) finally got on the scoreboard with a single run in the 5th, using back-to-back singles to leadoff the inning from Clint Dunham and Jason Diemer, and scoring off Larry Bolding's sac fly to left.
UT Tyler (1-1) responded with single runs over the next three innings to stretch its lead to 7-1 after seven, before a UTD rally in the top of the 8th made the game interesting.
The Comets chased Willard with one down in the inning and two runners on, as the Patriots brought in Jones from rightfield to pitch. UT-Dallas proceeded to score three runs off Jones with back-to-back-to-back RBIs before the senior got Garet Norton to strikeout looking to end the threat with the score at 7-5.
The Patriots capped the scoring in the bottom half of the 8th, getting a pair of insurance runs off Newell's two-run shot to right-center off Andrew Noble. Logan Chitwood then closed it out for UT Tyler, retiring the Comets in order in the 9th for the 9-5 victory.
Five Patriots recorded multi-hit games en route to 14 in the game, led by three hits apiece from Duke (3-for-5) and Newell (3-for-3, 2 R, 4 RBIs), as UT Tyler bounced back from a season-opening loss. Senior Nathan Skeen also was 2-for-4 on the afternoon, pounding out one of six doubles for the Patriots.
UT Tyler will be back in action this evening in a rematch with Mary Hardin-Baylor (2-0) at 5 p.m.
