STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton State Baseball (12-16) bounced back against Sacramento State (15-11) on Saturday afternoon, taking game two of the series 7-3.
This marked the Texans’ first WAC victory of the season, moving them to 1-1 in conference play. The Purple and White tallied nine hits compared to the Hornets’ eight. Additionally, Tarleton State recorded no errors opposed to three from Sacramento State.
Brian Panneton received the start and the win for the Texans, moving him to 3-1 on the season. The junior pitched a season-high six innings of work while striking out seven batters. Panneton now leads all Tarleton State pitchers in strikeouts this season with 30.
Tyler White hit a lead-off single for the Hornets in the first inning, then advanced to second base on a passed ball. After a single from Luis Pimentel-Guerrero to advance him to third, White was brought home for the first run of the game thanks to a sacrifice groundout from Cameron Sewell.
The Purple and White came out hot in the bottom of the first, responding with a dominant four-run inning. Tyson Drake drew a walk on a full count to kick things off for the Texans and then stole second to put himself in scoring position. Slade McCloud took advantage of this, launching a two-run home run on the first pitch of his at bat. This marked McCloud’s 40th hit of the season, making him the first Texan to achieve that mark this season.
Trace Morrison kept the momentum going with a two-run shot to center field, scoring Hunter Smith and notching his second home run of his senior campaign. This marked Morrison’s sixth straight appearance with at least one hit, which is the longest active hit streak on the squad. Tarleton State left the first inning with a 4-1 lead over their WAC foe.
The Texans tacked on another run in the second stanza when Smith scored Drake for his second run of the ballgame. Panneton held the Hornets at bay, producing a critical double play ball to get the Texans out of the third inning and putting away all three batters in the top of the fourth.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Rayner Heinrich got on base via an error from Sacramento State. After Heinrich advanced to third on a wild pitch, McCloud tallied his third RBI of the ballgame with a double down the left field line. This gave Tarleton State a 6-1 advantage after just four innings of play.
The Purple and White extended their lead to six runs when Sergio Guerra blasted a solo home run to center field, accounting for his second deep ball of the year. The senior now has nine extra-base hits in 2025 which ranks fourth among the team.
Sewell hit a two-run home run for the Hornets in the sixth inning to inch them back into the ballgame. This marked his third RBI of the game, holding him responsible for all three of Sacramento State’s runs.
Karsen Davis came in to pitch for the Purple and White, putting together one of his best performances of the season. The freshman pitched a new career-high of three innings, allowing just one hit and registering his sixth scoreless outing of the season.
The Texans evened up the series with a 7-3 victory, fueled by Davis’ strong closing performance. Tarleton State Baseball will look to clinch the series win tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. Get tickets here.
Be the first to comment