Texans split two at Cameron

Gottardy's two-hit gem highlights weather-shortened series

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Kyle Gottardy pitched a two-hit gem Monday afternoon, leading Tarleton State to a 3-1 win at Cameron. || Courtesy DEE ROBINSON via Tarleton

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LAWTON, Okla. – Tarleton State rode the stellar pitching performance of Kyle Gottardy to a win in the first game of Monday’s doubleheader to claim the series victory in Lawton.

Tarleton State won the first game of the series Saturday afternoon with a 3-1 win over the Aggies but was unable to finish the series yesterday due to unfavorable conditions.

Game 1: Tarleton 2, Cameron 1

Kyle Gottardy was nearly untouchable in the first game of Monday’s doubleheader as the senior right-hander tossed a two-hit gem to deliver a series victory over the Aggies.

The two hits – both singles – allowed by Gottardy came in the first and seventh innings, but he held the Aggies hitless in the middle five innings.


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Meanwhile, the offense got behind Gottardy starting in the second when Elijah Christenson hit his first career home run to left field with one out for a 1-0 Tarleton lead in the top of the first inning.

After a shutdown inning from Gottardy in the bottom of the second, the Texans put together a two-out rally in the third for, what would be, the game winning run. Alec Humphreys laced an opposite-field double down the right field line before a walk from Zach Fleet and an RBI single from Kevin Meredith put the Texans up 2-0.

The only blemish against the Tarleton right-hander came in the bottom of the fifth when a two-out error with a runner on first allowed the Aggie runner to come across for the only Cameron run of the game.


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After that, however, a two-out single in the seventh inning was the only other mark against Gottardy as the senior earned his third victory of the season and his first complete game of the year. His one run was unearned and he struck out a season-high seven in the effort.

Humphreys led the Tarleton offense with a 3-4 day at the dish while Jonathan Schmitz pushed his league-leading batting average back over .400 with a 2-3 afternoon. Meredith also had two hits while Christenson and Matt Olive had the rest of Tarleton’s nine hits.

Game 2: Cameron 11, Tarleton 5

A late-inning surge by the Aggies was too much for the Texans to overcome in the sweep game Monday afternoon as Tarleton fell 11-5.

Cameron got the scoring started with a three spot in the bottom of the first on two doubles and a two-run home run to three of the first four batters before settling down.

The Tarleton offense came to Renfro’s aid in the ensuing half inning when Matt Olive singled home Kevin Meredith for a run to cut the deficit down to 3-1.

After a scoreless second, Cameron got another run on a solo home run in the third and forced Tarleton to dip into the bullpen in the fourth. Blain Bagley came out of the pen and got a strikeout and a pop up to shortstop to end the Aggie threat and keep the Tarleton deficit to three at 4-1.

Cameron got the first two outs of the fifth inning on strikeouts, but Evan Robinson got a rally started by taking a hit by pitch to set up a run-scoring opportunity.

Humphreys followed up the hit batter with a single up the middle to set up first and third with two outs before Zach Fleet delivered a 2-RBI double down the left field line to make it a 4-3 ball game and chase the Aggie starter.

Kevin Meredith welcomed the Cameron reliever by taking the second pitch he saw back up the middle for an RBI single to tie things at 4-4.


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Bagley handled the fifth before Troyal Yosko delivered a scoreless sixth inning before the Aggies struck for three in the seventh and four in the eighth to break things open at 11-4. Tarleton scored on an RBI single from Robinson in the ninth, but the damage was done.

Yosko took the loss after allowing three runs in his second inning of work. Trevor Renfro started and pitched the first 3.1 innings, allowing four runs on five hits, before giving way to Bagley for 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.

Seth Hallmark and Austin Drolette combined for the last inning of work with Drolette striking out both batters he retired.

Tarleton had 10 hits for the game, including a 3-5 effort from Humphreys and two-hit performances from Fleet, Meredith and Olive. Robinson added the final hit of the game with hit run-producing single in the ninth.

The Texans have a quick turnaround as they return to Stephenville Tuesday afternoon to host St. Mary’s at 2 p.m. at Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex.


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