UT Tyler

Down to their final strike, the UT Tyler Patriots used a little magic to keep playing in Denver.

The Patriots plated two runs in the bottom of the seventh to score a wild 4-3 win over Auburn-Montgomery (Alabama) on Saturday in an elimination game in the NCAA Division II Softball World Series.

The Patriots won their sixth consecutive elimination game in the postseason to reach the Final Four.

UT Tyler (49-8) will now face Rogers State (Oklahoma) at noon (Central) Sunday at The Assembly Athletic Complex on the Metropolitan State University of Denver campus. The Patriots need to beat Rogers State (55-10) twice to advance to the national championship series. The Hillcats need to win one game to advance.

The Texas squad led 2-0 entering the top of the seventh before the Warhawks scored three to take the lead, 3-2. The big blast was a two-run homer to center by Molly Cobb.

Then it was time for the Patriots’ heroics.

Bayli Simon led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk. After two outs and Simon on second, Michelle Arias singled to center. That hit moved Simon to third.

The Patriots tied the game at 3-3 when Simon scored on a passed ball and Arias moved to third. Shannon Klaus then hard grounder to shortstop that scored Arias with the winning run which set off a wild celebration for the Tyler team.

“Wow, what a game,” said UT Tyler coach Mike Reed, who notched his 799th career win. “(Courtney) Plocheck’s homer in the sixth gave us, I thought, some breathing room. Their kid (Shelby Newsome) led off the seventh with a great at-bat to reach (walk). We had a big catch (Amanda Marek in right). Then they had the big swing (Cobb). The momentum and emotions were high.

“I’m really proud of the team. If you haven’t been through a lot, it would be pretty easy to fold up shop there.”

Reed also noted that Arias’ pinch hit “will get most of the attention, but her going from first to third on the passed ball may go unnoticed” was big.

Tatum Goff had held the Warhawks hitless until Gia Martin doubled to right-center in the fifth inning. The Rusk native kept AUM at bay until the seventh.

Newsome walked to begin the inning and Kat Fallen singled through the right side. Shelby Edgeworth ran for Fallen.

Kaylee Davis (10-0) came in to pitch for Goff. She induced Chloe Derric to fly out to right as Marek made a fantastic over-the-shoulder catch for the first out.

Martin followed with a fielder’s choice grounder, scoring Newso to bring the Warhawks within 2-1. Edgeworth was out at second on the throw from shortstop Klaus to second baseman Mak Dominguez.

However, Cobb followed with the two-run homer to put AUM ahead, 3-2. Davis then got the final out on a fly to right.

The Patriots took a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Ashley Perez, who was hit by a pitch, scored on Goff’s double.

UT Tyler went up 2-0 in the sixth as Plocheck homered to right.

Goff pitched 6 innings, plus two batters, allowing two hits with two runs while striking out seven and walking two. Davis threw one inning, allowing one hit and one run.

“Coach Reed has emphasized taking it step-by-step,” Goff said. “That extra step comes on taking that extra base and playing great defense.”

Goff noted the tough catch by third baseman Plocheck in foul territory during the game.

Avery Dickerson (11-2) took the loss, going 6.2 innings, giving up five hits and four runs (2 earned) while striking out four and walking one.

Klaus also had a double with Marek adding a single.

“It’s not any fun to get put out, but we tip our caps to UT Tyler,” Warhawks Coach Eric Newell said. “… We had a lot to be proud of. … We were a strike away from moving on. We are super proud of this group.”

The Patriots and the Hillcats were scheduled to meet on Feb. 27 in Claremore, Oklahoma, but inclement weather forced a cancellation. The two clubs have met twice — 2019 in Arkdelphia, Arkansas (UT Tyler won 3-1) and 2021 in Tyler (Rogers State won 2-0).

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2022 NCAA Division II Softball World Series

The Assembly Athletic Complex Complex at MSU Denver

Denver

May 26-31

Thursday’s First Round

Game 1: No. 8 California State-Dominguez Hills 5, No. 1 UT Tyler 1

Game 2: No. 5 Rogers State (Oklahoma) 7, No. 4 Southern Indiana 2

Game 3: No. 7 North Georgia 8, No. 2 Adelphi (New York) 2

Game 4: No. 3 Auburn-Montgomery (Alabama) 4, No. 6 Seton Hill (Pennsylvania) 0

Friday’s Games

Game 5: Rogers State 10, California State-Dominguez Hills 2

Game 6: North Georgia 8, Auburn-Montgomery 0

Game 7: UT Tyler 12, Southern Indiana 5, Southern Indiana eliminated

Game 8: Seton Hill 8, Adelphi 1, Adelphi eliminated

Saturday’s Games

Game 9: UT Tyler 4, Auburn-Montgomery 3, Auburn-Montgomery eliminated

Game 10: California State-Dominguez Hills 9, Seton Hill 6, Seton Hill eliminated

Sunday’s Games

Game 11: Rogers State (55-10) vs. UT Tyler (49-8), noon

Game 12: North Georgia (48-15) vs. California State-Dominguez Hills (43-22), 2:30 p.m.

Game 13: Winner Game 11 vs. Loser Game 11, 5 p.m. (if necessary)

Game 14: Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 12, 7:30 p.m. (if necessary)

Championship Series

(Best-of-three)

Game 1: 1 p.m. Monday

Game 2: 1 p.m. Tuesday

Game 3: 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, if necessary

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