- Box Score

AUSTIN – The Tarleton baseball team won their seventh straight game with a 5-3 decision over the Hilltoppers of St. Edward's Tuesday afternoon in Austin.

The Texans were roughed up early for two runs in the bottom of the first when St. Edward's scored a pair of runs on an error and an RBI double.

The slow start in the first for Tarleton was corrected by the second inning, when the Texans were able to get on the board. Centerfielder Tim Rainey reached on a bunt single, followed by a single to right field by shortstop Nathan Hille. A fielder's choice by leftfielder Andrew Wolfe resulted in a throwing error by St. Edward's that scored Rainey, making it a 2-1 ball game.

After three quiet innings by both teams, the Texans tied the game up in the top of the sixth when rightfielder Chris Casazza blasted a home run to deep left center to lead off the inning. It is his fifth homer of the season and the third in as many games.

With the momentum in their favor, Tarleton took their first lead of the game with an RBI single by first baseman Zane Hensley scoring pinch hitter Andrew Kapple for a 3-2 advantage.

The Texans did not stop there though as they scored two more insurance runs in the top of the ninth.  Wolfe reached on a fielder's choice with no outs, before stealing second base and advancing to third on an error. Junnior Dishmey then drove in Wolfe when he reached on yet another St. Edward's error. After Crim pinch ran for Dishmey, he moved to second on a hit by Ethan Stuckly and third on a wild pitch.  Kapple plated Crim with a sacrifice fly for Tarleton's fifth and final run of the game.

The Hilltoppers were not giving up without a fight though as the managed a run in the bottom of the ninth. That would be all St. Edward's would get though as closer Ryan Turner slammed the door on the Hilltoppers for his third save of the season.

The Texans improved their record to 11-2 overall and their winning streak to seven games in a row.

Reliever Ryan Salt (1-0) was awarded the win after tossing 1 2/3 perfect innings off the bench for Tarleton.

Stuckly and Hille each had two-hit games for the Texans, while Kapple, Casazza, and Hensley recorded RBI's. Tarleton was out-hit in the game 9-8, but benefited from four St. Edward's errors.

Head coach Bryan Conger spoke highly of his team's performance after the game.

"The kids played hard today and did a tremendous job of going one pitch at a time,” said Conger. “We pitched well top to bottom today. Offensively we saw some guys get 1% better than they were on Saturday.  That's the goal 1% a day. "

The Texans return to action this weekend when they host East Central starting at 1 p.m. at the Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex.