Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 KINGSVILLE, Texas – The No. 29-ranked Tarleton Texans salvaged it's Lone Star Conference series with the No. 16-ranked Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas, downing the home team 7-2 and 6-4 at Nolan Ryan Field in Kingsville on Friday.
 
The Javelinas loaded the bases in the bottom of the second inning, but managed to get just one run across and take and early 1-0 lead as Tarleton starting pitcher Troyal Yosko stuck out the final batter of the inning and end the threat.
 
Tarleton came back with five runs in the top of the third inning to take a 5-1 lead and that would prove to be more than enough for the Texans to pick up the win in game one.
 
Alvaro Moreno, Colten Boothe and Jaren Musgrove each drove in runs in the Tarleton third inning, while Nico Moran and Rustin Thomas both crossed home plate following throwing errors in the field.
 
TAMUK scored its only other run of the game in the bottom of the third inning, but the Texans got that run back in the fifth inning with Musgrove's second run batted in of the game. Thomas led off the top of the seventh inning with his second home run of the season to close-out the scoring for the Texans in game one.
 
Garrett Kelly (3-2) picked up the win for the Texans in relief, allowing just two hits and striking out six in his 3.1 innings of work.
 
TAMUK's Zach Pettiford was hit with the loss in game one, giving up five runs in three full innings of work.
 
Moreno and Thomas were each 2-for-3 at the plate in game one, while Musgrove went 2-for-4 at the dish. Thomas scored a team-high three runs in the contest.
 
The Javelinas scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning in game two, but Tarleton made it a 2-1 game in the top of the second inning when Musgrove drove in Ryan Small on his single to center field. Thomas singled earlier in the inning and he tied the game up 2-2 when he scored on a wild pitch.
 
The Javelinas took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third inning on a Taylor Taska home run and then extended its lead to 4-2 in the fourth inning with a RBI-single from Cash Barker.
 
Tarleotn's Evan Robinson reached base on a fielder's choice in the top of the seventh and he later came around to score on Noah Ringenberger's RBI single to pull the Texans within a run, down 4-3.
 
The Texans took its first lead in the top of the eighth inning with a three-run spot and then held TAMUK scoreless over the final two innings to win the game and split the series.
 
Boothe led off the eighth inning with a single and he moved to third on a stolen base and then a wild pitch. Small singled through the left side, bringing Boothe around to score and tie the game 4-4. Thomas then singled and moved Small to second on the play. Fola Lajide doubled down the left field line to score Small and Thomas then came home on Musgrove's sacrifice fly to left field.
 
Landon Thompson shutdown the Javelinas in the eighth inning and Britt Robertshaw (S, 2) came in and shutdown the TAMUK order in the ninth inning earn his second save of the season and secure the win for Tarleton.
 
Kody Thiebaud (1-0) picked up his first win of the season as he did not allow a run in his 2.2 innings of work.
 
 Denver Diefenbach (1-2) was saddled with the loss in game two for the Javelinas, giving up the two go-ahead runs to the Texans in the eighth inning. He did not get a Texan batter out before he was pulled from the game.
 
Moran led the offense for the Texans in game two, going 3-for-5 in the contest. Small and Thomas each scored two runs in game two for Tarleton.
 
The Texans moved to 20-10-1 overall on the season with the two wins and are now 9-3 in the Lone Star Conference. TAMUK dropped to 22-10 overall and 6-6 in the LSC.
 
Tarleton returns to Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex next weekend to host a four-game LSC series against Incarnate Word. The Texans and Cardinals will get the series underway on Friday, Apr. 5 at 3 p.m.