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Box Score: Game 1
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Box Score: Game 2
KINGSVILLE – Tarleton (4-3) switched gears offensively to earn a split in day two of the Texas A&M-Kingsville Invitational softball tournament Saturday.
Game 1: Southeastern Oklahoma 3, Tarleton 1
For the second time in a week, Tarleton dropped a tight contest to Southeastern Oklahoma. SEOSU squeaked out a 1-0 win last weekend and used a two-run third to pull away for a 3-1 win over the TexAnns Saturday.
Alexandria Orf provided all of Tarleton's offense in the first at-bat of the game, driving one over the left field fence to give Tarleton an early 1-0 lead.
Tarleton had a chance for more in the top of the first with two on and one away, but a line drive double play ended the TexAnn rally.
The TexAnns only managed four more baserunners over the rest of the game and were unable to piece any offense together. Orf (hit by pitch),
Samantha Swanda (walk),
Katie Welborn (single) and
Courtney Vroman (single) were all of the TexAnn baserunners after the first inning.
“We're playing some very tough teams so far this season and we're doing a lot of good things on the field,” said head coach
Julie Mata. “We're just not satisfied with our offense right now. We have to make some adjustments at the plate in order to win and I'm confident we can get that done.”
Swanda pitched for the TexAnns going six innings allowing three runs – two earned – on four hits and two walks while striking out four.
Game 2: Tarleton 9, Southern Nazarene 1
Tarleton exploded for a season-high nine runs against Southern Nazarene to end the game early with a 9-1 run-rule victory.
“We really put our offensive adjustments into play tonight,” said Mata. “Al (Orf) is really hitting the ball well in the lead-off spot and
Bailee Mauldin and KK (McKaylee) Pittman had some clutch hits to put the game away for us.”
Things didn't start as well as they finished for Tarleton as the TexAnns committed an error on the first play of the game, which eventually came around to score the only Crimson Storm run of the game.
Southern Nazarene returned the favor, and then some, in the bottom of the inning.
Orf led off the TexAnn inning with a single. She was followed up by
Arianna Rodriguez and Welborn who reached on errors. Welborn's reach also provided a pair of runs as Orf and Rodriguez came around to give Tarleton a 2-1 lead.
The Tarleton offense came alive again in the third – again started by a lead-off single by Orf.
Following the single by the senior second baseman, Welborn drove her in with a double to left center field. Vroman scored Welborn two batters later with a double of her own to extend the TexAnn lead to 4-1.
In the Tarleton fifth, Southern Nazarene continue to put itself in a hole and the TexAnns were happy to claim the RBIs.
With one away, Rodriguez doubled to left field then Welborn and Swanda loaded the bases. Vroman and
Tanner Pipkin each earned an RBI walk to keep the bases loaded for Pittman.
Stepping in as a pinch hitter, Pittman drove a single into left field for her first TexAnn RBI.
After a fielder's choice led to Vroman being thrown out at home, Mauldin stepped in to pinch hit and drove a base hit back up the middle for a two-RBI single to put the game away.
Meanwhile, as the TexAnn bats were heating up, sophomore pitcher
Randi Fentress was dealing from the circle.
The sophomore from Birdville High School earned her first win of the season by pitching all five innings allowing one unearned run on just hit while striking out a season-high seven.
The TexAnns have one final game in Kingsville as they play the tournament host Javelinas in a non-conference match-up at 1 p.m. Sunday.