STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton State got things back on track Tuesday afternoon earning two shutout run-rule wins over the Texas Southern Tigers 8-0 (6), 11-0 (5).
The Texans are now a perfect 5-0 over the Tigers, the last three wins coming via run-rule wins. The Purple and White have now outscored the squad from Houston 36-5.
Tarleton State 8 Texas Southern 0 (6)
Game 1 of the doubleheader got off to a slow start as the two teams traded goose eggs the first two innings, but the Texans made up for it scoring six runs over the next two innings.
Katy Schaefer got things rolling in the bottom of the third as she singled to left center driving in Kayla Wallace and Kalyn Hill giving Tarleton State the 2-0 lead. Wallace reached on a bunt single before Kalyn Hill walked on four straight pitches. The pair then advanced a base each as Tristyn Trull reached on a error by the pitcher.
The next two runs came courtesy of Austin Germain who doubled to left center pushing Schaefer and Trull across extending the lead to 4-0 Texans.
The fourth inning saw the Purple and White tack on another pair of runs making it a 6-0 lead. The fifth run for the Texans came as Wallace reached on a fielder’s choice allowing Jordan Dickerson to score from third pushing the lead to 5-0. Dickerson reached base with a lead-off walk before advancing around the base paths thanks to an Ashlee LaRue hit by pitch and a Kelci Hill single.
After being hit by a pitch, LaRue moved to second on the single by Kelci Hill and then put herself just 60 feet away as Wallace reached on the fielder’s choice. With LaRue threatening to extend the lead, Kalyn Hill hit a sac fly to right field driving in the senior outfielder LaRue making it 6-0 Tarleton State.
Six innings was all the Purple and White needed to secure the Game 1 win as Schaefer drove in her third and fourth RBI of the day. Schaefer doubled to left center on an 0-1 count driving in Trull and Bella Hernandez. Trull reached with a single through the right side and Hernandez came on to run for Kalyn Hill who reached with a single down the right field line in the at-bat before.
For the Texans, Kynlee Marquez (3-7) took the circle and never left pitching all six innings. Marquez gave up no runs on five hits, struck out four and walked just two. The four strikeouts marks her season high that she has hit two other times this season vs. Lafayette and Stephen F. Austin. This marks Marquez’s second collegiate shutout, first as a Texan.
For the Tigers, a pair of pitchers were used over the 5.2 innings. Melonie Guardiola (2-1) went the bulk of it going 5.0 innings giving up six runs (two earned) on five hits, struck out one and walked four. Lailah Bell went the final 0.2 IP two runs on three hits, striking out one.
Tarleton State 11 Texas Southern 0 (5)
Game 2 was highlighted by Schaefer’s grand slam which now puts her just three away from tying second-all time for home runs in program history.
Tarleton State wasted no time in Game 2 as the bats stayed hot scoring all 11 runs across the first two innings of work.
With the bases loaded for Schaefer and the wind blowing out, the senior from Sweeny, Texas, belted one to center field that was a no doubter from the time contact was made putting Tarleton State up 4-0 early. With one swing of the bat in the first inning, Schaefer matched her Game 1 RBI total of four and tacked on to her storied Texan career thus far.
The second inning was one for the books as the Purple and White put up seven runs in the inning. This marks the second most runs put up in a single inning by the Texans this season, just behind the second inning of the season opener win over Tennessee State when Tarleton State put up an eight-spot.
Four different Texans drove in the seven runs in what seemed like an inning with no end for Texas Southern.
Trull got things going when she singled to left center and then advanced to second as a pair of Texans in Wallace and Kelci Hill came home to score making it 6-0 Tarleton State. Schaefer then knocked in her fifth and sixth RBI of the game with a single up the middle. Kalyn Hill and Trull were the two Texans that put the game in run-territory less than two innings in. The six RBI is just one short of her career high (7) that was set in 2022 vs. Sam Houston but does mark her season high.
Dickerson stepped up to the plate and didn’t wait long to get in on the action swinging on a 0-1 count sending it to right center and cruising into second as Germain and Schaefer scored as the lead extended to 10-0. The final run for the Texans came courtesy of LaRue who hit a sac fly to center field scoring Brady Rowland pushing the score to 11-0, the final score.
Tarleton State used a pair of arms in Alexa Rehmeier (W 5-5) and Hannah Blincoe. The two gave up just a single hit in the game as the Texans kept the Tigers off the board for the second straight game. Rehmeier got the win going 4.0 innings, giving up just one hit, struck out four and walked four. Blincoe pitched the final inning putting up a goose egg and striking out two.
Texas Southern used a trio of pitchers across the four innings. Kaelani Randle (L 0-2) went 1.1 innings giving up 11 runs on nine hits and walked four. Maren Berger went the longest for the Tigers going 1.2 innings as she gave up just a single hit. Madalynn Gonzales went the final inning striking out two and hitting one Texan.
The Texans will return to action Friday-Saturday as conference play will resume as they will welcome Utah Tech to town for a three-game series. The doubleheader is set for Friday evening with first pitches coming at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The rubber match will get underway at 1 p.m. Saturday.
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