Box Score HOUSTON, Texas – Tarleton's Matt Buckmaster (LHP, Sr, Holliday) gave up just three hits and struck out seven batters in 6.2 scoreless innings of work to lead the Texans onto a 2-0 shutout win over Emporia State at the Astros in Action D-II Invitational at Minute Maid Park in Houston on Sunday.
 
"This was a good college baseball game played by two very good teams,” Tarleton head coach Bryan Conger said. “We are extremely proud of the kids and how they handled this game. They competed the whole time and we believe that will ultimately be the trade mark of this bunch."
 
The Texans (2-1) needed just two runs, while Buckmaster (1-0), Kody Thiebaud (RHP, Sr, Dublin) and Garrett Kelly (RHP, Jr, Corpus Christi) collectively shutdown the Hornet offensive attack. It was Tarleton's first shutout of the season and first of the regular-season since the Texans downed Cameron 12-0 on Apr. 28, last season.
 
Texans pitchers have combined to throw 15 shutouts since Conger took over the program in 2009. That number includes six shutouts over the last season, carrying over into the 2013 campaign.  
 
Rustin Thomas (OF, Jr, Mansfield) led off the top of the third inning with a walk and later moved to second base on a wild pitch. Alvaro Moreno (INF, Jr, McAllen) knocked in the game's first run with his run-scoring single to center field, which gave Tarleton an early 1-0 lead.
 
Buckmaster struck out the side in the bottom-half of the frame and neither team managed to score again until the Texan sixth inning when Colten Boothe (INF, Jr, Buda) walked and later scored when Evan Robinson (INF, So, Flower Mound) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Boothe crossed the plate to give Tarleton a 2-0 advantage.
 
Garrett Kelly (S, 1) made his third appearance in the tournament and picked up his first save of the season as he shut down the Hornet offense in the bottom of the ninth. Kelly walked a pair of batters that he faced, but got two outs on double play and then ended the game getting ESU's Blake Sturgeon to fly out.
 
Thiebaud gave up two hits and struck out a batter in his 1.1 innings of work and Kelly did not allow a hit in his scoreless closing appearance.
 
Moreno led the Texans at the plate, going 2-for-5 on the day with a run-batted-in. He and Boothe tallied a team-high four hits each inn three games at Minute Maid Park this weekend.
 
The Texans return to the diamond next Saturday, Feb. 9 as the team travels to Arkadelphia, Ark., to face Ouachita Baptist. The Texans and Tigers are scheduled to play a pair of double-headers on Saturday and Sunday. First pitch of the first game is scheduled for noon on both days.