- Box Score - Game 1
- Box Score - Game 2
WEATHERFORD, Okla. – The Tarleton baseball team won the first game Monday 8-2, but dropped the night cap 9-5 to Southwestern Oklahoma.
Starter Miguel Ramirez struck out 10 batters and catcher Andrew Kapple drove in four runs today, as the Texans push their overall record to 3-1.
The first game was all Tarleton as they jumped out to an 8-0 lead and held on, but it was scores by SWOSU in the first five innings that led to the Texans first loss of the season in game two.
GAME ONE: TARLETON 8, SWOSU 2
In the first game of the day, Tarleton got things started in the top of the first when leftfielder Ethan Stuckly singled, then scored on an error by the Bulldogs off a Travis Hayes' single. Hayes himself then scored on yet another error, making both Texan runs in the first inning unearned.
That seemed to be the theme of the day as SWOSU went on to commit seven errors total between the two games.
Tarleton put up two more runs in the top of the third when first baseman Zane Hensley laced a two-run single, scoring third baseman Mark Jeffery and Hayes.
With a 4-0 nothing lead entering the fifth inning of a seven inning game, the Texans had all the momentum in their favor. Tarleton used that to put the game out of reach, adding four more runs to their total.
The scoring in the fifth started with a hit-batsman and a pair of walks to load the bases. Kapple then stepped up to the plate and hit a clutch double to clear the bases and drive in three more runs. Centerfielder Tim Rainey added salt to the wound when he immediately followed that up with an RBI triple, scoring Kapple for Tarleton's eighth run.
The Bulldogs were able to respond with two runs in the bottom of the fifth, but by then it was too late.
Texan starter Miguel Ramirez tossed a complete game to pick up with win (1-0), while striking out an astonishing 10 batters, and allowing just two walks and four hits. The two runs that Ramirez gave up were both unearned and results of Tarleton errors.
Kapple finished the game with three RBI's, while Hensley chipped and two and Rainey chipped in one. Stuckly had the only multi-hit game for the Texans with a 2-for-4 outing. Hayes and Jeffery both scored twice for Tarleton.
Head coach Bryan Conger talked about Ramirez's performance after the game.
“Miguel had great stuff today,” said Conger. “He set the tone of the game and our offense benefited from it. We took advantage of some (SWOSU) miscues and I thought we played really well in the first game. We got an early lead and never let up. It is important that we finish games.”
GAME 2: SWOSU 9, TARLETON 5
The second game of the double header was just the opposite for the Texans as they proved to be the team that struggled both offensively and defensively.
The Bulldogs were able to get a quick run in the bottom of the first inning when Tarleton had a botched play that turned in a SWOSU walk into a runner on third with no outs. On the following play, an RBI ground-out gave the Bulldogs an unearned run and a 1-0 lead.
The Texans got the run back in the top of the second on an error by SWOSU that allowed Rainey to score after doubling.
The tie did not last long however, as the Bulldogs answered with a two run triple by Jeremy Soliday, who subsequently scored on a wild pitch, making it 4-1 in SWOSU's favor.
But in typical Tarleton fashion, the Texans did not hang their heads and exploded for four runs of their own in the top of the third to take back a 5-4 advantage.
The scoring began when Kapple roped an RBI single, scoring Hayes. Jeffery scored next when SWOSU pitcher David Francis balked him home. Rainey took advantage, following up with an RBI single, before shortstop Nathan Hille capped off the inning with a sacrifice that plated Hensley.
Unfortunately, that would be all the scoring Tarleton would muster in the game, as the Bulldogs scored two more runs in the third, a run in the fourth, and two runs in the fifth. SWOSU took the second game of the double header and final game of the series 9-5.
The Texans committed three errors in the game and gave up two unearned runs.
Francis (1-0) picked up the win for the Bulldogs, while starter Brandon Van Riper (0-1) suffered the loss for Tarleton.
Hayes and Rainey both had two-hit games and scored a run for the Texans, while Kapple, Hille and Rainey contributed the RBI's.
Head coach Bryan Conger discussed the Texans' issues in the second game.
“We just played poorly both pitching and defensively,” said Conger. “We made some mistakes and just were never able to fully recover.”
Conger emphasized the importance of learning from the losses though and building on the positives in the future.
“I was proud of our guys in how they were able to win the first series, and on the road no less,” said Conger. “It is important that we finish series and we should be able to do that moving forward. There were some good things that we did today we can build on, and there were some negatives that we can look at and make the proper adjustments.”
The Texans have no time off as they head to Northwood Tuesday, February 15 to take on the Knights at 1 p.m. in Cedar Hill. Check out TarletonSports.com for results, box scores, and further details on the 2011 Texan baseball season.
