- Box Score, Game 1
- Box Score, Game 2
EDMOND, Okla. – The Tarleton baseball teamed opened its four-game Lone Star Conference series with Central Oklahoma on Friday, splitting a doubleheader at Broncho Field in Edmond, Okla. The Texans downed the Bronchos 8-3 in game one before falling 7-5 in the second game.
UCO opened the first game with a run in the bottom of the first inning before Andrew Kapple's solo home run in the second inning tied the game 1-1.
Chris Casazza added to the home run parade with his solo shot in the top of the fourth inning, but the home runs did not stop their as Tim Rainey belted a three-run shot as part of the Texans' five-run sixth inning that put Tarleton on top 7-1.
The Bronchos added a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning before the Texans could add its insurance run in the top of the seventh and the game finished with Tarleton on top, 8-3.
Ryan Salt (3-3) picked up his first win since March 19, going the full seven innings while allowing all three runs on six hits and striking out three.
UCO's Kale Murphee (1-4) was on the hook for the loss, despite working all seven innings and allowing the eight runs on nine hits.
Casazza and Kapple each had two hits in the game and Junnior Dishmey added a hit to increase his hit streak to eight games.
Dishmey quickly made it a nine-game hit streak with his leadoff double in game two and then came home to score on a sacrifice fly to left field from Mark Jeffery that put the Texans on top 1-0.
UCO put up four run in the bottom of the second before Hille came home to score in the top of the third to make it a 4-2 game. But the Bronchos extended their lead to four runs after putting up two more runs in the bottom half of the third and went up 6-2.
UCO put up another run in the fifth inning just ahead of the Texans adding a run in the sixth on the strength of Zane Hensley's solo shot and then scoring two more in the seventh on Charlie Ulbricht's two-RBI-double.
That would prove to be Tarleton's final runs of the game and the Texans fell 7-5 to earn the split with the Bronchos.
Kenneth Stockton (4-3) took the loss for the Texans, allowing seven runs on eight hits in five innings of work. Brandyn Greer and Nathan Lewis each worked two innings each to close out the game.
Austin Baker (1-1) snagged the win in relief for the Bronchos after working the third through seventh innings. He gave up three runs on six hits and struck out two.
The Texans and Bronchos will conclude the series tomorrow with another doubleheader scheduled for 1 p.m.
