- Game 1 Box Score
- Game 2 Box Score

SAN ANGELO – The Tarleton TexAnn softball team dropped two close Lone Star Conference South Division games to No. 2 Angelo State on Saturday, 7-6 and 2-1.

Tarleton's April Gonzalez and Arianna Rodriguez each batted .500 on the day while Rodriguez had three runs batted in and a .667 slugging percentage.

Pitcher Julie Norris pitched eight innings and allowed just five hits and two earned runs while striking out six.

Tarleton will return to action at home against Texas A&M-International on Tuesday, March 16. The doubleheader at the Tarleton Softball Complex is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

Angelo State 7, Tarleton 6
Angelo State scored first in the bottom of the first to in the take the early lead but the TexAnns tied the game in the top of the second. Gonzalez walked to start the frame before Victoria Kelly used a sacrifice bunt to move the runner over. Rodriguez then singled to put runners on the corners. Elyse Tatum pinch ran for Gonzalez, Rodriguez stole third and a ground out by Brittany Terry was followed by a passed ball which Tatum tied the game on.

The Rambelles scored three runs on four hits in the bottom of the second to take a 4-1 lead before adding two runs on two hits in the bottom of the third. ASU scored its final run in the bottom of the fourth with a run on three hits to make it 7-1.

Tarleton mounted a charge in the bottom of the fifth frame. Amy Gabbert singled to the shortstop before a walk by Brandie Simmons. The runners advanced on a Tami Sutton ground out prior to a two-run double down the left field line by Norris. Gonzalez then singled to center to put runners on the corners when Kelly singled to center to score Norris. A double to right center by Rodriguez scored both Kelly and Gonzalez and moved Tarleton within a run, 7-6.

Tarleton got runners on in each of the last two innings, but the TexAnns failed to score and lost the first game of the afternoon.

Katie Smith started the game for the TexAnns and pitched four innings, giving up seven runs on 10 hits while walking three and striking out one. Norris pitched the final two innings for the visitors and allowed no hits and struck out one.
Angelo State 2, Tarleton 1
In game two, the TexAnns got runners on the bases in five of the seven innings. ASU scored two runs in the bottom of the first on three hits and two errors to take the early lead.

Norris led off the top half of the third inning for the TexAnns with a single up the middle. A Terry sacrifice bunt moved the runner to second before Rodriguez had a single to left that scored the senior from second.

Tarleton trailed 2-1 and had runners in scoring position in the sixth and the seventh, but the TexAnns couldn't get around the bags.

After the first inning, Norris retired the last 16 of 17 batters faced starting in the second. She pitched all six innings and gave up just five hits and two earned runs while walking none and striking out five.