Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SAN ANTONIO – Tarleton dropped the first two games of the season Friday afternoon at the St. Mary's Invitational Tournament, falling to East Central in the season opener and a shootout in the nightcap against Southeastern Oklahoma.
   
Offensive struggles paved the way for the TexAnns in the first game of the season as Tarleton stranded nine base runners en route to a 3-0 shutout loss to East Central Friday afternoon.
 
After Randi Fentress escaped a two-out, runner-at-third situation in the top of the first, Tarleton had a chance to get on the board in the bottom of the inning when freshman Melody Mayse recorded her first collegiate hit to open the game.
 
The freshman outfielder stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt but failed to score as the Tigers escaped the jam.
 
East Central scored one on an error in the infield in the top of the fourth to lead 1-0. Tarleton got a pair of runners on in the bottom of the inning with just one away, but failed to bring any home.
 
Tarleton's best scoring chance of the day came in the fifth when the TexAnns loaded the bases with one out, but the Tiger shortstop made the out at the plate to keep Tarleton off the board. The inning ended with a fly ball to right field.
 
East Central tacked on two more in the ensuing inning with an RBI single and a bases loaded walk and an Amber Clifford single was the only other hit for the TexAnns over the last two innings.
 
Fentress (0-1) took the hard luck loss despite pitching all seven innings. She allowed three runs – two earned – on eight hits and six walks while striking out three.
 
Mayse recorded the only multi-hit game of the day, going 2-3 with a pair of singles, a stolen base and a walk in her Tarleton debut. Singles by Arianna Rodriguez, Ashley Noak and Amber Clifford were the only other TexAnn hits.
   
Tarleton rallied back from a four-run, first-inning deficit to take a late lead, but Southeastern Oklahoma scored three unanswered runs in the fifth and sixth innings to hand the TexAnns their second loss of the date.
 
The Savage Storm got on the board in the bottom of the first with an RBI fielder's choice and an RBI single with a two-run homer in between to lead 4-0.
 
Neither team scored over the next two innings until the TexAnns brought the game closer with a two-run blast by Courtney Vroman and an unearned run to bring the score to 4-3 after three-and-a-half innings.
 
Southeastern pushed the lead back to three in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI fielder's choice and a hit batter with the bases loaded.
 
Tarleton took the lead with a four-run fifth inning when Ashley Noak unloaded the bases on one swing with a double to right center. They tacked on another run later in the inning off a Savage Storm error to lead 7-6.
 
Southeastern answered back with one in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the sixth to lead 9-7. Tarleton only had one baserunner over the next two innings – a Clifford double – as Southeastern went on to the win.
 
Vroman was the only TexAnn with a multi-hit game, going 2-3 with a pair of RBIs while Noak added a team-high three RBIs with her only hit of the day. Mayse, Rodriguez, Clifford and Kelsey Latta each had a hit as well.
 
Tarleton returns to action tomorrow for two games against St. Edward's and Texas A&M-International at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively.