CANYON, Texas – The #4 Buffaloes began their Lone Star Conference series with a win on Friday evening as a stellar outing by Maddux Hoaglund sparked WT to a 7-4 victory over the Patriots of UT Tyler in front of over 200 fans at Wilder Park in Canyon, Texas.
 
The Buffs got on the board in the bottom of the second inning as a Patriot fielding error with two outs put runners on the corners followed by a wild pitch to score Dylan Fesperman for the 1-0 lead. UTT responded in the top of the third as Ethan Bedgood singled to center with two outs to drive in Nathan Carriere to make it 1-1.
 
WT retook the lead in the bottom of the second as Kory Schmidt bounced a ground-rule double over the wall in right center with two outs to score Pau Wittmann for a 2-1 lead. 
 
The Buffs added to their lead in the fifth as three straight walks to start the frame loaded the bases followed by a Schmidt sac fly to right field that plated Wittmann, Glenn Noronha would draw an RBI walk later in the frame with two outs to make it 4-1. 
 
The Patriots answered in the top of the sixth as Blake LaBuda lifted a sac fly to left with one out as Bedgood tagged up to score at 4-2. WT added some insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh as Josh Zapata singled to right with one out to plate Schmidt followed by an Owen Alsup RBI double to center to force a UTT pitching change, Wittmann added to the WT lead with a drag bunt single to make it 7-2.
 
UTT cut into the lead in the top of the eighth on a Bedgood sac fly to right field with one out to score Lane Hutchinson to make it 7-3. Hoaglund picked up the win (1-1) as the senior allowed three earned runs on five hits with two walks and nine strikeouts in his 7.1 innings of work.
 
The Patriots wouldn't go down without a fight in the ninth as Kaston Mason crushed a leadoff solo homerun to right field before Rees Miller entered the game and registered the final two outs for his fourth save of the season.
 
The Buffs and Patriots continue their series on Saturday afternoon at Wilder Park.
 
SCHEDULE UPDATE
Due to high winds in the forecast on Saturday and Sunday in the Texas Panhandle start times have been adjusted. Saturday's doubleheader will now start at 2:00 p.m. followed by Sunday's series finale at 10:00 a.m. at Wilder Park.