Albuquerque, N.M. – After a tough, extra-innings loss in the tournament opener, Tarleton’s perseverance was on full display in the second game as the Texans rallied from a 4-1 deficit to defeat UTEP 6-5 and earn a split for the day.
Game 1: Buffalo 3, Tarleton 2
Tarleton’s bid for its 11th straight victory to open the season fell just short in the opening game of the Lobo Classic, despite another valiant seventh-inning rally.
Just one week removed from undoing Syracuse with two outs in the seventh, Tarleton once again went down to their final out as the Bulls of Buffalo held tightly to a 2-0 lead headed into the seventh. Tarleton starter Reagan Chism made one mistake – in her otherwise masterful pitching performance – that was a two-run home run in the fourth.
After two quick outs in the seventh, Morgan Medford and Amanda DeSario kept the game alive with back-to-back singles and then Brady Rowland, the reigning WAC Hitter of the Week, drove them home with a two-out, two-run double. Rowland was lifted for a pinch-runner, who was thrown out at home as the potential winning run on a single from Katy Schaefer in the ensuing at bat.
Tournament extra inning rules placed a runner on second to begin the inning. Buffalo capitalized with an RBI single while the Texans got a two-out single that wasn’t deep enough to score the tying run in the bottom half.
Schaefer was dominant with a three-hit performance while Rowland and DeSario boasted two-hit games. Medford, Brittany Coe and Tristyn Trull also had hits for Tarleton. The Texans outhit Buffalo 10-4 for the game.
Chism took the tough-luck loss with eight innings of work, allowing two earned runs on four hits and four walks while striking out 10.
Game 2: Tarleton 6, UTEP 5
Big performances from DeSario, Schaefer, and Kennedy Ferguson allowed Tarleton to take advantage of five UTEP errors and complete a three-run, come-from-behind victory over the Miners 6-5.
DeSario opened the second game of the day with her second long ball of the season to put the Texans on top 1-0. The lead wouldn’t hold, however, as UTEP answered with four runs over the first three innings to take a 4-1 lead after three.
In the top of the fourth, Schaefer homered with runners on the corners to tie the game at 4-4.
The blows continued to be traded as UTEP answered with a home run in their half of the inning to take a 5-4 lead and then Tarleton answered right back with a run off two errors and a DeSario single to tie the score again at 5-5. Ferguson stepped up in the circle with a shutdown half-inning to keep the Miners off the board.
DeSario’s big day continued at the dish as she opened the inning with a single to complete her 4-for-4 performance. She moved to third with one out on an error that allowed Schaefer to reach second and then came in to score the go-ahead run on an RBI groundout from Georgia Capell.
Ferguson slammed the door in the seventh to complete the win. The right-hander went 6.0 innings in relief of Tristan Bridges, who started and went one. Ferguson struck out eight in earning her first win of her Texan career.
DeSario and Schaefer led the way offensively.
DeSario went 4-4 with three runs scored and one RBI while Schaefer went 2-4 with a run scored and three RBI. Miranda Pruitt and Hallie Saintignan were the only other Texans to have a hit for the game.
Tarleton will return to action tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. against North Dakota State.
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