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MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Tarleton TexAnn softball team will return to action at the Southern Arkansas Tournament in Magnolia, Ark.

The TexAnns will play Southern Arkansas at 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 25 at SAU Stadium before playing the Muleriders again at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 26 at the Magnolia High School field. Tarleton will then play Ouachita Baptist twice on Saturday at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. – both at MHS.

Tarleton is 6-3-1 after falling to Cameron 2-0 in 12 innings at home on Tuesday and then tying game two because of darkness, 5-5.

Rebecca Wessels leads the team with a .406 batting average, 11 runs scored, 13 hits and a triple while converting on six-of-seven stolen base attempts. Samantha Swanda (.273) leads the squad with nine runs batted in and three home runs. The TexAnns are hitting .271 as a team and opponents have a combined earned run average of 3.42.

Swanda leads the pitching staff with a 2.25 ERA and a 4-1 record. She has pitched in 37.1 innings and has 34 strikeouts to just six walks. Opponents are hitting .212 off the junior. Katie Smith is second with a 2.45 ERA in 20.0 innings of action with 17 strikeouts and nine walks. Tarleton has a combined ERA of 2.70 while opponents are hitting .241.

The Muleriders are 3-9 overall and are coming off a 2-4 weekend at the Southeastern Oklahoma Tournament in Durant, Okla. The two wins came against SOSU (1-0) and Central Missouri (9-2). The other win is a 6-5 victory at Texas A&M-Kingsville in the season opener.

SAU is led by Madison Buckley with a .371 batting average, and she is tied for the team lead with Kylee Crosek (.325) with 13 hits. Julie Essary (.323) tops the squad with 10 RBI and six runs scored. The team is hitting .249 against an opponents' ERA of 2.51.

Taylor Clifton leads the pitchers with a 3.75 ERA and a 2-4 record in 37.1 innings of work. She has 15 strikeouts and five walks while Essary (1-3) has a 4.82 ERA in 24.2 innings with 10 walks and nine strikeouts. The Muleriders have a combined ERA of 4.87 with opponents hitting .347.

The teams have met five times since starting the series in 2000, and the TexAnns lead the series, 4-1.

Ouachita Baptist is coming off a 1-5 weekend at the SOSU Tournament with the lone win coming against Texas-Permian Basin, 3-2. The Tigers are 3-5 overall after they swept Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the season opening doubleheader.

Brianne Baley leads the team with a .375 batting average while Sarah Bell (.292) and Kristen Rigsbee (.368) top the squad with seven hits apiece. The Tigers are hitting .238 as a team and opponents have a combined ERA of 3.44.

Rigsbee leads the squad in the circle with a 2.12 ERA and is 1-2. She has pitched in 17.0 innings and has 22 strikeouts and no walks. Abbi Frakes (0-2) has a 3.86 ERA and has pitched 16.1 innings with five walks and 14 strikeouts. Rayn House adds a 2-1 record and a 4.30 ERA in 14.2 innings of work. She has allowed five walks while striking out 16. The staff has a combined ERA of 3.38 and opponents are hitting .264 off the Tigers.

The two teams first met in 2004 with the TexAnns winning the only game between the squads. Tarleton claimed a 16-2 victory against OBU on March 1, 2004.