Box Score WICHITA FALLS – Despite a rallying effort, Tarleton State couldn't finish off the comeback as Midwestern State outlasted the TexAnn bats in an 8-5 loss in Tarleton's first game of the Lone Star Conference Softball Showcase Thursday night.
 
Despite playing MSU at Mustangs Park in Wichita Falls, Tarleton State was the home team in the affair and TexAnn starter, Randi Fentress, kept the Mustang offense in check over the first two innings.
 
In the top of the third, Midwestern State opened the inning with a double and single to have runners on second and third with no outs but Fentress responded with a groundout to short and a foul out that was gloved by second baseman, Kelsey Latta.
 
Tarleton couldn't finish off the defensive stand, however, as the Mustangs sent a 3-1 pitch over the left field wall for a three-run homer.
 
The TexAnns clawed back with a run in the ensuing half inning after Erika Menchaca and Melody Mayse stroked a one-out single and double into left field to set up second and third with one away. After Latta was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Bailee Mauldin plated Menchaca with a sacrifice fly to right field to cut the MSU lead to 3-1.
 
After Fentress shut down Midwestern in the top of the fourth, she helped her own cause with an RBI double to left center to make it a 3-2 game. Her double drove home Taylor Wells, who opened the inning by reaching on an error.
 
Tarleton tried to tie the game on the Fentress two-bagger, but pinch-runner Miranda West, who ran for Amber Clifford following a single and a sacrifice bunt, was tagged out at home to keep it 3-2.
 
After MSU extended the lead by two in the top of the fifth, Tarleton State answered right back with two of their own in the bottom of the fifth when Mauldin scored from second on an error and Wells came home from second on an RBI double by Clifford to keep it a one-run game at 5-4 after five.
 
Midwestern State added three more over the next two innings to push the lead to 8-4 and, despite a seventh inning lead-off homer and a two-out single from Clifford, Tarleton couldn't get any closer than 8-5.
 
Tarleton tallied eight hits as a team with Clifford leading the way with a 3-4 night. Mauldin also had a multi-hit game, going 2-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Mayse, Fentress and Menchaca had the three remaining hits for the TexAnns.
 
Fentress took the loss, falling to 6-8 on the season, after allowing eight runs on 13 hits with four walks and three strikeouts. Brenna Hennan pitched an inning of near-flawless relief, allowing just one free pass.
 
Tarleton will be back in action tomorrow with two games, beginning with a 1:30 match-up against Texas A&M-Kingsville and ending with a 6:30 p.m. game against No. 25 Angelo State.