Box Score STEPHENVILLE – A late-inning Tarleton rally came up just short Friday afternoon as the TexAnn softball season came to an end in the opening round of the LSC Championship Tournament with a 5-4 loss to Texas Woman's.
 
Tarleton got on the board first when Erika Menchaca ripped a two-out, RBI single up the middle in the top of the second to plate Melody Mayse and give the TexAnns an early 1-0 lead.
 
After the Pioneers answered with a two-spot in the bottom of the second, Tarleton trailed 2-1 until the fifth inning when Rachel Brownlow tied the game on a two-out, RBI triple to left center to bring home Kendra Mendoza and tie the game at 2-2.
 
Just like the second inning, Texas Woman's answered in the ensuing half inning – this time with a three-run home run to right field to give the Pioneers a 5-2 lead with just two innings left.
 
Tarleton's rally effort started immediately, however, when Mayse led off the sixth inning with a triple and eventually came in to score on an error by the TWU third baseman. That made the score 5-3 after six.
 
Randi Fentress kept the Pioneers off the board in the bottom of the sixth to keep the game within reach for the final frame.
 
In the top of the seventh, Tarleton got runners on second and third after Brownlow was hit by the pitch and Katelyn Conlee doubled to straight away center field. Brownlow came in to score on a single to bring the game to 5-4 but a looking strikeout ended the game and the season.
 
Fentress took the loss after pitching all six innings allowing five runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out two.
 
Mayse was a perfect 4-4 at the plate while Brownlow also had a multi-hit game, going 2-3. Conlee, Menchaca and Mendoza had the rest of Tarleton's nine hits on the day.
 
Tarleton ends the season with its 13th trip to the postseason in the 19-year history of the program.