Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton (2-3) dropped both games on the opening day of the TexAnn Softball Invitational Tournament Saturday afternoon.
   
After struggling to string together any offense through the first six innings, Tarleton scored once and had the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh but couldn't overcome a 4-1 deficit as the TexAnns fell in their home opener 4-2.
 
Tarleton's Randi Fentress has to dance out of trouble over the first three innings as she stranded four Ranger base runners in scoring position over the first three frames.
 
Meanwhile, the offense started the scoring in the bottom of the first when Melody Mayse walked, stole second, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a passed ball to put the TexAnns up 1-0 despite being held hitless.
 
The TexAnns had a chance to pull away in the second inning after loading the bases with just one out, but back-to-back pop outs ended the Tarleton threat.
 
Northwestern State tied the game in the fourth inning when the Rangers had a runner score from second base on a fly ball to center field. Tarleton's Mayse tracked down the deep fly ball but had a collision with the outfield wall, leading to the extra base.
 
The game stayed tied at 1-1 until the top of the seventh when the Rangers scored three runs on four walks and a double down the left field line to take a 4-1 lead heading into the final frame.
 
Amber Clifford singled to lead off the Tarleton half of the seventh before a walk to Taylor Wells and a single by Mayse loaded the bases with no one out. After a strikeout, Bailee Mauldin cashed in a run with an RBI single up the middle to plate Clifford's pinch runner, Mikayla Stogsdill.
 
The TexAnns could get no more, however, as the Rangers went on to claim the win.
 
Brenna Hennan took the loss, pitching one inning of relief allowing three runs on one hit and a walk. She entered in relief of Fentress who pitched 6.0 innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits and earning four strikeouts.
 
The hits by Clifford, Mayse and Mauldin in the seventh were all of the hits Tarleton had for the morning.
   
Despite a ferocious seventh-inning rally, Tarleton was unable to overcome a disastrous first inning in the nightcap of the opening day of Tarleton's Invitational Saturday night – falling to Harding 7-5.
 
Tarleton starter Taylor Wells ran into early trouble as the Lady Bison's scored four runs on four hits and an error before chasing Wells from the game after just 0.1 innings pitched. Wells gave way to Randi Fentress, who stopped the bleeding with back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the jam.
 
The TexAnns chipped into their big deficit with a leadoff home run from Melody Mayse and an RBI double from Bailee Mauldin to make it 5-2 after the opening frame.
 
Fentress kept Harding in check for the remainder of the game, allowing a pair of runs – only one earned – but the offense remained stagnant into the seventh inning, which they entered trailing 7-2.
 
Tarleton opened the seventh with four consecutive base runners, chasing the Harding starter from the contest at 7-4. Emily Jones opened with a walk and was followed up by a Rylie Chappell double, Katelyn Conlee RBI single and an error that allowed Mauldin to reach.
 
Harding's new hurler struck out two of the next four and hit the other two, one with the bases loaded to bring across the game's final run. Tarleton struck out with the bases loaded to end the rally.
 
Mauldin went 2-4 with the only multi-hit game of the day for Tarleton while Mayse, Chappell, Conlee, Mendoza and Ashley Findorak had the rest of Tarleton's seven hits for the day.
 
Tarleton returns to action tomorrow afternoon in search of its first victory of the weekend with a 12:30 p.m. game against Northwestern Oklahoma State.