STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton State returned to action on Friday, this time in front of a home crowd.
The Texans (4-3) cashed in on their first win of the day with an 8-1 victory over Lafayette (0-2), to then be followed by handing the Bengals (7-1) their first loss of the year 5-2.
Tarleton State will play two more games Saturday hosting Lafayette for the second time and is set to wrap up day two with Mississippi Valley State. Both games have been pushed back one hour due to forecasted low temperatures in the morning hours of Saturday. The Texans will now face off against Lafayette at 12:45 p.m. and Mississippi Valley State at 7:30 p.m.
Tarleton State 8 Lafayette 1
In the first meeting with Lafayette, the Texans downed the Leopards 8-1, scoring in all but two innings.
Katy Schaefer got the scoring started with a single to right center, scoring Kelci Hill (reached on error by second baseman) and Austin Germain (walked) giving the Texans the early 2-0 lead.
Brady Rowland then was walked moving Schaefer to second. Schaefer then advanced to third as Kalyn Hill flew out to right field. She wasn’t there long as Tristyn Trull singled to center field scoring Schaefer. The Texans collected three runs on two hits in the bottom of the first.
The scoring affair continued in the second inning when Ashlee LaRue homered for the first time this season over the right field fence putting Tarleton State up 4-0 with no outs in the second.
Rowland singled to center field scoring Kelci Hill who reached base on an error by the Leopards’ shortstop. The Texans went up 5-0 after just two innings of work.
In the bottom of the third, Jordan Dickerson reached on an error, but the next three batters went down in order ending the chances to add to the lead.
Lafayette got on the board in the top of the fourth scoring one run before the Texans added two more in the bottom of the frame.
Kalyn Hill flew out to center field, scoring sister Kelci Hill who reached base when she singled to center field and then advanced to second following a single from Schaefer.
LaRue was walked with the bases loaded scoring Molly Cochran who came in to pinch run for Schaefer making the score 7-1 Texans.
The Texans went quietly in the bottom of the fifth before scoring their final run of the game in the bottom of the sixth.
Trull singled up the middle scoring Bella Hernandez who came in to pinch run for Rowland after she walked to open the inning.
In the Leopards’ last attempt to get their offense going they flew out to center to open the frame before singling through the left side. This marked the last Leopard to reach base in the game. The next two batters went down on strikes, one swinging, one looking.
Alexa Rehmeier went the distance for the Texans in their opening game of the tournament. She struck out six matching her highest single-game total set against Lamar on Feb. 9, 2024. She walked just three batters marking a season low for her.
The 8-1 win over Lafayette put the Texans back in the win column and moved them back to .500 on the season.
Tarleton State 5 Idaho State 2
There was just one team to enter the tournament with a perfect record on the season and the Texans got their chance to play spoiler Friday night.
Idaho State came in with a perfect 7-0 record after earning their seventh win of the season earlier in the day over tournament challenger Buffalo. On the other hand, the Texans came into the game 3-3 looking to move one game above .500 and win their 12th straight game in the Whataburger Invitational spanning the last three seasons.
The Bengals looked as if they would be a tough challenger putting two runs on the board in the top of the first, but the two runs marked the end of the Bengals scoring on the night.
The Texans answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the first taking the lead back 3-2.
Kelci Hill opened the bottom of the first with a walk, but she didn’t have to wait around long to come home as Kayla Wallace in the No. 2 hole hit a triple to center. This was Wallace’s first three-bagger of the season.
After reaching on a fielder’s choice, Trull stole second and Wallace came home on an error by the catcher tying the game up at two apiece.
After moving to third following Rowland’s groundout to the pitcher, Trull came in to score as Kalyn Hill grounded out to the short stop giving the Texans the 3-2 advantage.
The offense was quiet for Tarleton State until the bottom of the fourth when Kelci Hill doubled to left field scoring Germain and Hernandez putting the Texans up 5-2, what ended up being the final moving them to 4-3 on the season. Germain reached base on a walk and Hernandez pinch ran for Kalyn Hill following her double to right center.
The Texans once again had a pitcher go the distance, this time transfer pitcher from Houston, Hannah Blincoe. She ended her night striking out two and walking one. She gave up nine hits but her defense behind her helped limit the damage to just two runs, both earned. The one walked marked her season low.
Blincoe collected her first win in the Purple and White with the 5-2 victory over the Bengals of Idaho State.
The Texans will be back in action Saturday against Lafayette at 12:45 p.m. and Mississippi Valley State at 7:30 p.m.
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