Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SAN ANTONIO – Tarleton State split the second day of the St. Mary's Rattler Invitational, dropping the first game 4-2 to Oklahoma Christian and rebounding to defeat Rogers State 6-2.
   
Tarleton dropped its fifth straight game to begin the second day of the Rattler Invitational, falling to the Oklahoma Christian Lady Eagles 4-2 Saturday afternoon.
 
After both teams went through the first two innings quickly and quietly, Tarleton made some noise in the third when Kelsey Latta opened the inning with a single and after a pair of outs managed to move to third on a Mikayla Stogsdill single to give the TexAnns first-and-third with two down, but a groundout ended the threat.
 
Oklahoma Christian, however, made noise and did capitalize in the third inning when a one-out, bunt-single turned into a two-out run with an RBI base hit up the middle for a 1-0 lead for the Lady Eagles.
 
The TexAnns were turned away in order in the top of the fourth before Oklahoma Christian pulled away with a three-spot in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI groundout and a two-out, 2-RBI single to center field for a 4-0 Lady Eagle lead.
 
After that, both teams were shut down in order over the next two innings with a runner reaching in each of those four half innings with no runs coming across.
 
Tarleton finally ended the shutout bid in the top of the seventh when Ashley Findorak singled through the right side and advanced all the way to third on a miscue in right field. Findorak's pinch runner, Miranda West, was driven home three batters later on an RBI single by Amber Clifford.
 
With two outs in the inning, Melody Mayse, who walked after Findorak's base hit, came in to score on an Oklahoma Christian error that allowed Stogsdill to reach and extend the inning. A groundout ended the rally, however, and the game.
 
Fentress, who pitched her sixth complete game of the season, took the loss after allowing four runs on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
 
Defensively behind Fentress, the TexAnns played an error-free ballgame for the third time this season – all three coming this week beginning against Colorado Mesa last Sunday and the second coming in game one of the St. Mary's doubleheader Tuesday night.
 
At the plate, Tarleton managed just five hits against Oklahoma Christian with Stogsdill the only TexAnn with a multi-hit game – going 2-4 – while Findorak, Latta and Clifford had the remainder of Tarleton's offense.
   
In the final game of the second day, Tarleton ended their five-game losing skid as back-to-back 3-run innings lifted the TexAnns to a 6-2 victory over Heartland Conference foe, Rogers State.
 
Rogers State struck first in the opening frame when a leadoff single turned into a leadoff runner at second base following a Tarleton miscue in the outfield. That run would eventually come in to score on a double steal to give the Hillscats a 1-0 lead.
 
That lead would stick through the first three innings, despite the TexAnns loading the bases in the bottom of the second with just one away.
 
Tarleton finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth and took their first lead over the past five games when Rachel Brownlow was hit by the pitch with the bases loaded and two more came in on a throwing error off a Latta fielder's choice to put the TexAnns up 3-1.
 
After Brenna Hennan sat the Hillcats down in the top of the fifth, the offense added three more when Ashley Findorak drew a bases loaded walk, Miranda West scored from third on a bases loaded passed ball and Brownlow drove in Katelyn Conlee with a sacrifice fly to make it 6-1 Tarleton.
 
Rogers State added the final run of the game on an RBI single in the next half-inning but Hennan minimized the damage and sat the Hillcats down in order in the top of the seventh to secure the win.
 
Tarleton scored six runs on four hits, seven walks and three hit by pitches. Stogsdill, Kendra Mendoza, Melody Mayse and Conlee were responsible for the four Tarleton hits.
 
Hennan tossed the complete game, allowing two runs – one earned – on four hits and two walks while striking out five. She hit one batter.
 
The TexAnns will wrap up the tournament with a 2 p.m. game against tournament-host St. Mary's tomorrow afternoon.