- Box Score

CANYON - The No. 22 Tarleton baseball team dropped game one of their series with West Texas A&M Friday by a score of 15-11.

The Texans got off to a fast start with a Junnior Dishmey solo home run in the top of the first inning, but the Buffaloes responded with a six-run bottom of the first.

Tim Rainey added Tarleton's second run in the second inning with an RBI double to left, scoring Chris Casazza.

West Texas kept their momentum going with two more runs in the third, making it an 8-2 ball game.

The Texans continued to score runs though as Travis Hayes hit a solo home run in the fourth.

The Buffaloes answered yet again with four runs in the bottom of the fourth, pushing their advantage to nine runs.

Tarleton's comeback attempt began in the sixth where they went on a eight-run stretch over the final four innings.

Casazza blasted a solo home run to start the rally in the sixth, and was followed by another Rainey RBI double.  Rainey then scored on a West Texas error, cutting the deficit to six runs.

WT added two more runs in the bottom half of the inning though, as the Texans struggled to hold off the stampeding Buffaloes.

Mark Jeffery's two-run home run in the seventh and Ethan Stuckly's two-run double in the eighth were not enough as WT took a 15-11 final over Tarleton.

The Texans were out-hit in the game 17-12, but did manage to take advantage of four Buffalo errors.  Rainey led the Tarleton offense with a 4-for-5 day, contributing two RBI's, while Sutckly and Jeffery both add a pair of RBI's as well.  Hayes scored three times to go along with a 3-for-4 outing and a run driven in.

Ryan Salt (2-2) suffered the loss for the Texans, giving up 11 runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Justin Kuks (8-5) picked up the win for the Buffaloes, despite allowing six runs, four earned, on seven hits in six innings of work.

Head coach Bryan Conger talked about his team's effort after the game.

"Hats off to West Texas," said Conger.  "They made enough pitches and got hits with runners on.  We had our opportunities, but just came up short.  The kids competed hard though.  I'm proud of them for that."

Tarleton will get another shot at West Texas Saturday when they play a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. in Canyon.

For more information regarding the 2011 Texan baseball season, check out TarletonSports.com.