STEPHENVILLE – It was a slugfest from the onset, but Tarleton had the final swing – and a mighty one it was – as Amanda DeSario walked Tarleton off a winner with a one-out home run in the bottom of the seventh to deliver an 8-7 victory over Sam Houston.
After Sam Houston put up four runs over the first two and a third innings, the Bearkats appeared ready to rip the doors off the hinges but Kennedy Ferguson came in from the bullpen and completely changed the momentum of the game.
With the bases loaded and one out, Ferguson put the ‘K’ in Bearkat with back-to-back strikeouts to keep Sam Houston from putting any more runs on the board. The Tarleton offense returned the favor in the ensuing half-inning.
With runners on first and second and two away, Brady Rowland put the Texans on the board with a two-run double off the right center wall to cut the deficit in half at 4-2. Katy Schaefer followed up with an RBI single to left to bring home pinch-runner Destiny Salinas from second and make it 4-3.
After Georgia Capell was hit by the pitch, Brittany Coe hit the next pitch a long way down the left field line for a three-run home run to turn the scoreboard over the Texans with a 6-4 lead.
While Ferguson was cruising through the Sam Houston lineup, Tarleton’s Capell tacked on – what would ultimately be – a most important insurance run with a solo homer in the sixth. The Bearkats tied the game with a two-out, bases-clearing double to even things up at 7-7.
But, for those new to the Texan Softball program, Tarleton loves hitting in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Amanda DeSario walked Tarleton off a winner with a one-out home run to straight away centerfield. This is Tarleton’s 11th walk-off win in their last 15 home games dating back to April 9, 2021. It’s their sixth walk-off win at home this season and second of the weekend sweep.
Each of the first six batters in the lineup – Morgan Medford, DeSario, Rowland, Schaefer, Capell, and Coe – recorded a base hit for the day and five of the top six drove in at least one RBI. Coe went 2-for-3 with a team-high three RBI for the game.
Ferguson earned the win with 4.2 innings of stellar relief, over which she allowed three runs on two hits and struck out five. She came on for Tristan Bridges who went the first 2.1 innings in the circle.
Tarleton had a change to the schedule just before Sunday’s finale and will no longer be visiting Prairie View A&M on Tuesday. The Texans will now host Texas Tech Wednesday at 4 p.m. CT for a single game in Stephenville.
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