- Box Score
STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton's Katie Welborn smashed a two-out walk-off home run Saturday to lift the TexAnns to a 6-4 Lone Star Conference South Division victory over No. 23 West Texas A&M in Stephenville.
With the game tied at four in the bottom of the seventh inning, Welborn stepped to the plate and slammed the ball over the fence to give the TexAnns (21-23-1, 9-9) the victory in the three-game series with the Lady Buffaloes.
“We had a great pitching performance from both Samantha [Swanda] and Randi [Fentress], and of course, Katie Welborn came up big for us today,” said Tarleton head coach Julie Mata. “We were patient at the plate after we settled down and we had several hitters come through for us. It was nice to end our home schedule with a win.”
The Lady Buffs (36-13, 11-7) started off with a hit and a walk in the top of the first inning, but pitcher Swanda recorded three straight strikeouts to end the inning. In fact, Swanda used strikeouts to set down six of the next seven batters to close the first two innings.
WTAMU would get at least runner on in every inning through the top of the fourth inning via one hit and four walks, but the Lady Buffs would not come around to score as Swanda got out of each frame.
Tarleton was held hitless until the bottom of the fourth inning when Welborn would get the first TexAnn hit of the day and send it to center field. However, a groundout ended the inning.
Two singles in the top of the fifth inning would be followed by a Kim LeComte single with one out that went off the glove of a diving Kesley Latta at second that would score a run to break the scoreless tie. Kaitlyn Witte would then get a double down the left field line to score two more runs to put the visitors on top, 3-0. With two outs, a long fly ball was hit to center field where Abigail Tammen crashed into the fence to catch the final out of the inning.
Tarleton opened the bottom of the inning with two singles and a fielder's choice to put two runners on with one away. Another single to center by Tammen loaded the bases with Alexandria Orf at third and Amy Gabbert at second. Rebecca Wessels then had a double up the middle to score Orf and Gabbert and move Tammen to third. Arianna Rodriguez then grounded out to short, but Tammen scored from third. Swanda then gave the TexAnns the lead with a single up the middle that scored Wessels from third as the left fielder beat the throw home. Welborn then had a single up the middle to score to put runners on first and second. Marcie Rodriguez then came in to run at second for the TexAnns' pitcher. Tarleton chased starting pitcher Marci Womack as WTAMU put in Shelby Cockrell. On her first pitch, she got a groundout to end the inning, but the TexAnns took the 4-3 lead.
In the top of the sixth inning, Kristina Myles was hit by a pitch to start the inning, and she was later singled home by Meghan Slattery to tie the game at four runs apiece. With two outs and runners on first and second, Fentress came in to pitch for Tarleton, and on her second pitch, she forced a flyout to right field.
Orf had a one-out single to the hole between first and second in the bottom of the sixth, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the TexAnn threat.
Witte drew a walk to start the top of the seventh for the Lady Buffs, but Fentress got two strikeouts and a fly to center to end the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, Swanda walked with two outs to put the tying run on base before Welborn nailed the walk-off homerun.
Fentress got the win to improve to 5-5 on the season as she pitched the final 1.1 innings and allowed no runs on no hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Swanda pitched the first 5.2 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits with four walks and eight strikeouts.
Cockrell took the loss to fall to 18-7 on the year after pitching the last two innings and giving up two runs on two hits with a walk and four strikeouts. Womack pitched the first 4.2 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits with a walk and four strikeouts.
The TexAnns will return to action at Abilene Christian for the last series of the season. The TexAnns need to win two of the three games to make it to the LSC Championship Tournament. Tarleton and ACU will play a single game on Friday, April 29 at 7 p.m. before playing a doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 30.
