STEPHENVILLE – Following the victory over Yale Friday, the Texans came out firing on all cylinders on Saturday as they defeated the Texas Southern Lady Tigers 8-0 (5) followed by an 8-4 win over the North Dakota Hawks later in the afternoon.
Through 13 games, the Purple and White have outscored their opponents 78-50 as the boast a 9-4 overall record including three run-rule victories and a shutout.
Tarleton State 8 Texas Southern 0 (5)
The Texans wasted no time putting runs on the board as they put up a three-spot first to give the home the early advantage and never looked back.
In the top of the first with Austin Germain and Haley Hughes on, Kalyn Hill hit a sac fly to center scoring Germain and moving Hughes to third to make it 1-0 Tarleton State. Casey Schultz then doubled to right center driving in Hughes and Tristyn Trull to advance it to 3-0 Texans. Trull reached on an error after Hughes reached on a walk.
The second and third went quietly for both squads before the Purple and White put up a five-spot over the final two innings to end things early in Game 1 of the day.
In the bottom of the fourth with Germain and Hannah Reed on, Hughes singled to first pushing across Reed to make it 4-0 Tarleton State.
With one out and two on Trull stepped to the plate in the bottom of the fourth. She wasted no time hitting a deep shot to left center to make it 7-0 as it was all Texans in the fourth. The homer marks her first long ball of the season and her eighth of her collegiate career, all with the Purple and White. With her home run, five different Texans have now launched a long ball.
In the bottom of the fifth, Trull once again stepped into the box, this time with bases loaded up. She was patient at the plate and drew a bases loaded walk as Molly Cochran scored who pinch ran for Bella Hernandez to give Tarleton State their third run-rule walk-off of the season and their first run-rule walk-off walk victory of the season. The walk-off walk marks the first one of its kind since Grace Garcia’s perfect game vs. Texas A&M-Commerce on Feb. 19, 2023, when then junior infielder Jordan Dickerson drew a bases loaded walk as Kelci Hill scored the winning run.
For the Texans, Kynlee Marquez (W, 2-1) earned the start in the circle, and it was a good one as she tossed her first complete game shutout of the season and first since April 16, 2024, when she completed the same feat over the Lady Tigers of Texas Southern as the Texans run-ruled that one 8-0 (6) as well. Marquez needed just five innings of work to earn the run-rule shutout as she allowed just four hits while she struck out 5 and walked a pair.
For the Lady Tigers, they used a trio of arms with two going an inning or less. Melonie Guardiola (L, 0-2) got the start in the circle and went just 3.1 IP as she gave up seven runs (six earned) on eight hits while she walked three and struck out just one. Kristen Driver then took over and went just an inning as she gave up one run (earned) on one hit as she walked two and struck out one as well. Kaelani Randle then tossed the final third of an inning as she gave up no runs on no hits but issued two walks.
Tarleton State 8 North Dakota 4
The freshman star, Shelby Schultz, once again earned the start in the circle marking her fifth start. Schultz has gone at least four innings in each of her starts and boast a 3-1 record and also has a save. She has made quite the impact as she leads the team in strikeouts with 41 over 27.1 IP.
After a quiet first inning for both sides, North Dakota got the scoring started with a run in the top of the second to give the road the early 1-0 lead, their only lead of the game. Callie Honig doubled to left center driving in Katelyn Neumayer to push their first run across.
In the bottom of the frame, the Texans wasted no time responding as they doubled up the Hawks for the first time on the day making it 2-1 after two in the Ville. With Hernandez and JJ Duke on, Germain tripled to right field scoring Hernandez and Duke and giving the Texans the 2-1 as they never looked back from there.
The third inning was once again quiet for both teams before a pinch hitter for the Purple and White had a plate appearance she will never forget.
In the bottom of the fourth with Germain and Bojkovic on, Braylin Pannill pinch hit for designated player Haley Hughes, and she left a lasting impact. The redshirt sophomore transfer from Texas State sent her first ever collegiate long ball deep to right center as Tarleton State pushed the lead to 5-1 in the fourth.
The following half inning in the top of the fifth, the Hawks responded with a three-run shot of their own by Taya Hopfauf to make it 5-4 and mark the final time the visitors added to the scoreboard.
In the final two frames, the Purple and White added three more runs to seal the 8-4 victory and move to 9-4 on the season.
With Hill on in the fifth, Duke hit a sac fly to left field to make it 6-4 Tarleton State.
With Pannill and McDaniel on in the sixth, Hill stepped to the plate and singled through the left side as McDaniel came home to make it 7-4. Casey Schultz then doubled to right field driving in Pannill for the Texans’ final run of the ball game to make it 8-4.
For the Texans, Shelby Schultz (W, 3-1) went 4.2 IP and picked up her third win of her young collegiate career. She gave up four runs (all earned) on six hits as she struck out five and walked a pair. Alexa Rehmeier took over for the final two-and-a-third as she gave up no runs on one hit while she struck out one and walked one.
For the Hawks, Makaela Carr (L, 2-2) got the start in the circle as she went three-and-a-third innings. She gave up five runs (all earned) on six hits while she walked three and struck out four. Emily Marr then took over and went 2.0 IP. She allowed three runs (all earned) on four hits and walked a pair. Katelyn Strauss tossed the final third of an inning as she gave up no runs on no hits.
The Texans return to action on Sunday as they wrap up their final of three home tournaments and longest homestand in program history as they are set to play host to the Lobos of New Mexico at 12:15 p.m. and then will face off with the Lady Tigers of Texas Southern once again, this time at 2:30 p.m.
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