Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CANYON – In the final day of the WT Woodward Invitational Tournament, Tarleton State dropped the first game 6-4 to Fort Lewis College but rebounded in the tournament finale to rally past Colorado Mesa in eight innings for a 7-6 win.
 
"We had a lack luster performance in game one," said Tarleton head coach Julie Mata, who is currently sitting at 494 career wins following this weekend. "We've got some key injuries and some people playing out of position, but we've got to come together better than that.
 
"Game two was all Mesa early on, but our players didn't give up," she continued. "We worked hard and did a good job on the bases to rally in the second game."
   
In the opening game of the final day, Tarleton surrendered a 4-3 lead by allowing three runs in the bottom of the fifth en route to dropping their game against Fort Lewis 6-4.
 
The Skyhawks scored one run in each of the first three innings while Tarleton only mustered on run in the top of the second inning on a solo homer by Kendra Mendoza to make it a 3-1 game through three.
 
After a scoreless fourth, Tarleton took a 4-3 lead on a wild pitch, an RBI single by Mendoza and a RBI double by Ashley Findorak to plate Lauren Grisham for the go-ahead run. The TexAnns scored three runs on two hits and an error in the fifth to take the lead.
 
But the Skyhawks bounced right back with three of their own on two RBI singles and an RBI double to take the 6-4 lead. Tarleton had two more base runners over the final two innings but failed to bring home any runners.
 
Randi Fentress took the loss in two innings of relief, allowing two runs on three hits with two strikeouts. Brenna Hennan pitched the first four innings and allowed four runs – three earned on two walks and three strikeouts.
 
Eryn Freitas had her first career multi-hit game, going 3-3 while Mendoza and Findorak each added two hits. Miranda West, Katelyn Conlee and Amber Clifford had the rest of Tarleton's 10 hits.
   
Tarleton rallied from an early 4-0 deficit and Melody Mayse drove home the winning run in the bottom of the eighth to secure the walk-off victory for the TexAnns in the tournament finale.
 
Colorado Mesa jumped out to a strong start in the opening frame, scoring four runs on an RBI single, an RBI double and a 2-RBI triple to right center. They held that lead through the first four innings after Brenna Hennan entered in the second and mowed down the Maverick hitters.
 
Mesa finally struck again, this time off Hennan, for one in the fifth on RBI single to take a 5-0 lead over the TexAnns.
 
After Hennan blanked the Mavericks in the sixth, the offense came to life and put up two runs on RBI groundouts from Freitas and Bailee Maudlin to cut into the lead.
 
In the final frame, Tarleton rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh to keep the game alive. The TexAnns got RBI singles from Erika Menchaca and Latta before Mikayla Stogsdill struck for the game-tying RBI double to plate Menchaca and tie the game at 5-5.
 
Mesa took the lead in the top of the eighth but in the bottom of the eighth, Tarleton's Rachel Brownlow came around to score from second base on an error by the pitcher and Mayse drove in Randi Fentress from second, after she reached on that error, to seal the game.
 
Hennan earned the win after pitching seven innings of relief, allowing two runs – one earned – on eight hits and four walks with nine strikeouts. Conlee earned the start and was chased after one inning.
 
As a team, Tarleton mustered nine hits with Stogsdille, Findorak and Mayse recording two each and Menchaca, Latta and Mendoza getting one each.
 
Tarleton will return home Tuesday afternoon for a 3 p.m. doubleheader against St. Mary's.