- Game 1 Box Score
- Game 2 Box Score
STEPHENVILLE – The Tarleton TexAnn softball team split a doubleheader at home Thursday with Incarnate Word, losing the first game, 4-3, before taking the nightcap, 7-0.
Katie Smith got the victory while pitching the whole game in the nightcap and allowing just five hits while giving up no walks and striking out five batters.
Victoria Kelly led the squad with a .500 batting average on the day, going three-of-six, while Tami Sutton and Julie Norris each hit .429. Kelly led the team with three runs batted in as the TexAnns hit .306 on the day and the opponents had a .228 batting average.
The TexAnns will return to action on Friday, Feb. 26 at home in a doubleheader against St. Mary's set to begin at 1 p.m. at the Tarleton Softball Complex.
Incarnate Word 4, Tarleton 3
Incarnate Word struck first scoring one run on two hits in the top of the first before adding another run on a hit in the top of the second to take an early 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the third inning, Amy Gabbert walked to open the frame before a sacrifice bunt by Meagan Eldridge moved the runner to second. With two outs, Sutton singled to move the runner to third, but a throwing error by the pitcher scored Gabbert to cut the lead to one.
The Cardinals added to their lead with one run in the top of the fourth on two hits to make it 3-1, but the TexAnns struck back in the bottom of the sixth.
With one out, April Gonzalez was hit by a pitch before Kelly singled to center. Arianna Rodriguez then singled down the left field line to load the bases. With two outs, Eldridge walked to score Gonzalez before a pop out ended the threat. Tarleton trailed 3-2.
UIW then got another run in the top of the seventh. With runners at the corners, the TexAnns gave up a fielder's choice to get an out at the plate, then on the next hit, pitcher Norris tried to go home on a fielder's choice though nobody was on third. The throw was high, and Gonzalez got the ball from the backstop to Norris at the plate to tag the runner coming from second, but the umpire called the runner safe which gave the Cardinals a 4-2 advantage.
In the bottom of the last frame, Brittany Terry homered to left before a Norris single with one out. Then, with two outs, Kelly singled to short stop, but a strikeout ended the TexAnns push from behind.
Norris pitched all seven innings and allowed four runs, three earned, while walking three and striking out six. Briana Sanchez got the win for the visitors after walking four and striking out 10.
“We made too many errors in game one that you can not make against a good hitting team like Incarnate Word,” said head coach Julie Mata. “We had a lot of opportunities, but we just left runners on the bases. I still was proud of the way we fought through the end of the game.”
Tarleton 7, Incarnate Word 0
The TexAnns wasted no time to jump ahead in the second game, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first. Rebecca Wessels started the inning with a bunt single to third before she stole second. She then stole third, and as the catcher tried to throw the TexAnn out, she threw it over the third baseman's head, and Wessels scored. Sutton then singled on a bunt right in front of the plate and advanced to second on a bad throw by the catcher. Sutton stole third before Terry singled to left center to score the TexAnn. Norris then singled down the right field line before Elyse Tatum came in to pinch run for Terry. Gonzalez was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Kelly reached on a fielder's choice that scored Tatum. Rodriguez got a sacrifice and an RBI as two TexAnns scored, one on an error. Tarleton led 5-0.
The TexAnns added another tally in the bottom of the third. With one out, Norris reached on an error and advanced to second. Gonzalez was hit by a pitch before Kelly singled through the right side to score Norris. The TexAnns enjoyed the 6-0 advantage before adding the final run in the bottom of the fifth.
With a full count, Terry walked when a balk was called on the pitcher. She advanced to second on a Norris single to left before a sacrifice bunt by Gonzalez moved the runners over. Kelly grounded out to second, but Terry scored, and the TexAnns won 7-0.
Only three runners got to second base or beyond in the nightcap as Katie Smith pitched all seven innings and allowed just five hits and struck out five. She did not walk a batter and allowed only one extra base hit. She got 14 flyouts in the victory.
“I would like to bottle up the way we have hit in the game two of the last two doubleheaders,” Mata said. “We gave ourselves opportunities to steal bases and be aggressive. I believe that was the biggest difference in the two games.
“I thought Katie pitched another really good game to get the win,” Mata said.
