Bryce Jewell’s RBI single in the bottom of the ninth lifted UT Tyler to a 10-9 win over Angelo State, sweeping the Patriots’ South Central Super Regional and with it a berth in the NCAA Division II College World Series.

The Patriots, who won the 2018 Division III national championship, earns its first bid to the NCAA Division II national tournament, which is scheduled for May 30 through June 7 in Cary, North Carolina.

UT Tyler, ranked No. 5 in the nation, improved to 48-11. The No. 2 Rams, who were seeking their fifth straight trip to nationals, ends their season at 48-10. The Patriots won the first game of the best-of-three series, 12-3, on Thursday. Both games were played at Foster Field at 1st Community Credit in San Angelo.

With the game tied 9-9, the Patriots, who were the designated home team, batted in the bottom of the ninth. 

Drew Schmidt led off the inning with a single to left field. Kaston Mason reached on a fielder’s choice as the Rams pitcher committed an error allowing Schmidt and Mason to move to third and second, respectively.

That brought up Jewell, a junior from Bullard, who slashed a single to center, plating Schmidt with the winning run and setting off a Patriot celebration.

The game was a back-and-forth affair with the Rams going ahead 3-0, follwed by the Patriots back on top 4-3, followed by the Rams moving ahead 5-4 and 7-4. The Patriots then tallied four runs in the bottom of the fourth fueled by a three-run homer from Schmidt for an 8-7 advantage.

Angelo State went back on top 9-8 in the top of the seventh, but the Patriots scored a single in the bottom of the inning on Tanner Hornback’s RBI triple for a 9-9 tie.

Garrett Arredondo (5-2) got the win, going 2.2 innings while allowing three hits and 1 run with no walks and three strikeouts.

Kyle Froehlich started and threw three innings (8 hits, 7 runs, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts). He was followed by Noah Lindt (3.1 innings, 3 hits, 1 run, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts).