Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 STEPHENVILLE – The TexAnn offense exploded on a drizzly Saturday afternoon as the tournament hosts recorded a pair of run-rule victories over Texas-Permian Basin and Oklahoma Panhandle on the first day of the Tarleton Invitational.
   
Tarleton opened their portion of the tournament with an offensive explosion that resulted in an early victory over Texas-Permian Basin 11-3 in five innings.
 
The Falcons struck first on the afternoon by getting two quick runs off the TexAnns after a pair of errors allowed UTPB to take a 2-0 lead after a half-inning of action.
 
The TexAnn offense wasted no time in getting back to even, tying in the game in the ensuing half inning on an RBI triple by Rachel Brownlow to plate Melody Mayse and a sacrifice fly by Arianna Rodriguez to left field to bring in Brownlow.
 
After Randi Fentress settled down and posted a goose egg in the top of the second, her offense gave a five-run cushion in the bottom of the inning.
 
Brownlow drove in her second RBI of the game with a single to plate Mayse before Rodriguez cleared the bases with a two-run bomb to left field. Back-to-back RBI doubles by Amber Clifford and Kelsey Latta put the TexAnns up 7-2 after two.
 
UTPB inched closer in the third with a solo home run, but Tarleton added four unanswered in the bottom of the fourth to send the game to an early close. The runs came on a Latta RBI double, an error, a Fentress RBI double and another Rodriguez sacrifice fly.
 
Fentress got the win, throwing a complete game allowing three runs – one earned – on two hits and two walks while striking out six.
 
Tarleton tallied 13 hits in the game, including multi-hit efforts from Mayse (2-3), Brownlow (2-4), Rodriguez (2-2), Clifford (3-3) and Latta (2-3). Fentress and Courtney Vroman had one hit each.
   
A fourth-inning grand slam by Bailee Mauldin was the dagger in the Tarleton win in the second game of the double header Saturday night as the TexAnns rode a complete game shutout from Brenna Hennan en route to a 10-0 win.
 
The TexAnns scored early and often, starting with a leadoff triple from Mayse – who came around to score on a Brownlow RBI single. Rodriguez doubled on the next pitch to put Tarleton up 2-0 in the first.
 
In the second, Mayse struck again with an RBI double to plate Samantha Allen – who pinch ran for Hannah Hancock.
 
Tarleton added three in the second on an error and a two-RBI single by Mayse. The final four runs came on the Mauldin slam in the bottom of the fourth.
 
Hennan pitched five innings of shutout ball allowing just four hits and one walk while striking out six.
 
Mayse was the only player with a multi-hit game, going 3-4 with three RBIs on two triples and a double. Rodriguez, Vroman, Clifford and Mauldin had the other hits for the TexAnns.
 
Tarleton will return to action tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. against Oklahoma Panhandle and at 6:30 p.m. against Texas-Permian Basin.