Box Score HOUSTON, Texas – Tarleton State dropped its first game of the 2014 season with a 3-2 loss to Arkansas Tech Tuesday afternoon at the Houston Winter Invitational at Minute Maid Park.
 
The Wonder Boys (3-1) knocked in a run on Jay Johnson's groundout in the bottom of the second inning and Kris Ayers drove in a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 3-0 lead.
 
The Texans (1-1) managed to bring home two runs in the top of the seventh inning when Garrett Kilgore singled and later came around to score on a single from Noel Nevarez. Nevarez managed to come all the way around to score on the play as well following a pair of throwing errors by the ATU defense.
 
Luke Slentz then reached base as the tying run, but following a pitching change, ATU's Trent Armstrong managed to get out of the inning with a strikeout and a pickoff.
 
The Texans just mustered five hits in the game, while the Wonder Boys drove in its three runs on 12 hits. Colten Boothe was 1-for-4 on the day as he delivered his second double of the season and Alvaro Moreno went 1-for-4 at the plate as well.
 
Robert Baker (L, 0-1) took the loss for the Texans, giving up just one run on four hits in two innings of work. He struck out a pair of batters and did not walk allow a walk.
 
Jacob French, Kyle Gottardy, and Colten Burleson worked two innings each in relief.
 
Armstrong (W, 1-0) picked up the win for the Wonder Boys in relief after starting pitcher Aaron Johnson yielded the two runs in 6.1 innings of duty. Johnson did manage to strike out six batters, but he also had two walks in the game.
 
The Texans will return to the diamond this weekend as the team returns to Stephenville to face Regis (Colo.) in its home-opening series. A four-game set will begin Friday at 3 p.m.

Arkansas Tech 3, Tarleton State 2 (Feb 04, 2014 at Houston, TX)
Tarleton State	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	2	5	0
Arkansas Tech	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	0	X	3	12	2
Pitchers: Tarleton State - Robert Baker; Jacob French(3); Kyle Gottardy(5); Colton Burleson(7) and Jonathan Schmitz. Arkansas Tech - A. Johnson; T. Armstrong(7); J. Bell(8); R. Vallejo(9) and P. Castleber; K. Jumper.
Win- T. Armstrong(1-0)  Save-R. Vallejo(2)  Loss-Robert Baker(0-1)
Weather: Roof closed, 56 degrees inside