Story courtesy of Texas Lutheran Sports Information

TYLER, Texas -- Texas Lutheran finished as the NCAA Division III Softball Championship Tyler Regional runner-up for a third time in four seasons after a pair of losses Saturday to tournament host and No. 4 ranked University of Texas at Tyler.

At Suddenlink Field, Tyler posted 8-6 and 5-2 wins over the fifth-ranked Bulldogs to complete a 3-0 run through the regional.

The Patriots advance to an NCAA DIII Super Regional at a yet-to-be-determined site. TLU's season came to a close.

The Patriots improved to 42-4. TLU dropped to 38-6. The Bulldogs had their 38-game win streak snapped in the first loss of the day.

TLU started the day with a lead-off homer to left field off the bat of junior Kyla Lockley. The Bulldogs continued to hit in the first, adding an RBI double fromm Madisyn Cates.

The Bulldogs knocked UT Tyler game-one starter Alaina Kissinger out of the game in the first inning.

After TLU took the 2-0 lead, the Patriots answered right back with a two-run home run from KK Stevens in the bottom of the first.

The Bulldogs regained the lead in the second with a sacrifice fly from Kaymee Gooden, but UT Tyler bounced back with a three-run second that included a two-run home run from Whitney Romero and an RBI double from Andrea Gonzales.

The Patriots put up a run in the third on a sacrifice fly from Hannah Moore, who added to the UT Tyler lead with a two-run home run in the fifth.

TLU made it interesting late. Cassie Roche doubled to left-center in the sixth, scoring Jordan Berry, and Nicole Snow belted a two-run shot in the seventh.

The Bulldogs put the tying run at first and brought the go-ahead run to the plate before a strikeout ended the game. Romero retired the last two Bulldogs to notch her first save of the year. Fellow freshman Miranda Leal posted the pitching win.

In game two, Romero started limited TLU to three hits in the 5-2 win. The freshman right-hander went the distance, allowing solo home runs to Snow and catcher Alyssa Cantu. Romero struck out six.

Amanda Lochte (15-2) took the loss in the late game. Maitlin Raycroft (21-3) picked up the loss in the early contest.

NCAA Regional All-Tournament selections for TLU went to: left fielder Courtney Mica, designated player Nicole Snow, second baseman Madisyn Cates and center fielder Kaymee Gooden.

The Bulldogs will lose eight seniors from a squad that won four consecutive Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships (regular-season and tournament titles in each year) and produced an overall record of 151-26