Box Score STEPHENVILLE – The Tarleton State Texan baseball team wrapped up a spot in the Lone Star Conference Championship Tournament with an 8-3 win over the league leading and No. 15-ranked Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas Friday afternoon at Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex in Stephenville.
 
The Texans, who improved to 25-21 overall and 15-17 in conference play, were trailing 3-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning before Luke Slentz cranked his first home run of the season to tie the game and the rest of lineup managed to drive in five more runs that put the Texans up 8-3.
 
Luke Slentz was called into the game with two runners on and no outs in the top of the sixth inning, and all the junior reliever did was get the Texans out of the inning unscathed, as well as give up just one hit and strikeout three batters in his three innings of work.
 
Garrett Kelly allowed two hits in the bottom of the ninth, but he two managed to get out of the inning with out giving up a run to help preserve the Texan Victory.
 
Evan Robinson led the Texans with a pair of hits, a run batted in and a run scored, while Rustin Thomas tallied a hit and scored twice.
 
Troyal Yosko (W, 2-2) gave up just one hit in relief of Matt Herrick (ND) and picked up the win after becoming the pitcher of record following the fifth inning.
 
TAMUK's Dallas Ponder (L, 7-2) was saddled with just his second loss of the season as he yielded seven runs on five hits in four complete innings for the Javelinas.
 
The win put the Texans one game ahead of Angelo State for third place in the conference standings and no matter what ASU and Eastern New Mexico do this weekend, Tarleton will claim at least the No. 3 seed in next week's conference tournament.
 
The Javelinas moved to 33-15 overall and 23-10 in LSC play with the loss and despite the loss, TAMUK will host the conference championship following West Texas A&M's 8-3 loss to Cameron earlier this afternoon as well.
 
The Texans and Javelinas will closeout the series tomorrow with a doubleheader scheduled to begin at noon. Tarleton will host Senior Day for 12 Texan Seniors, with festivities scheduled to begin at approximately 11:45 a.m.