SAN ANTONIO – The Texan offense came to life in the nightcap of Saturday's doubleheader as Tarleton State Baseball earned a split against No. 38 St. Mary's and secure two of three against the Rattlers for the first series win of the season.
  
In the first game of Saturday's twin bill, Tarleton State couldn't get any runs across and suffered its second offensive shutout of the season and fell to the Rattlers 3-0.
 
The Texans had a chance to break through in the opening frame when Jonathan Schmitz and Landon Thompson started a two-out rally with back-to-back base hits, but were unable to come across as a ground out put an end to the Texan threat in the opening frame.
 
After the Rattlers struck for one in the bottom of the second, Tarleton had an out on the bases and a double-play snuff out a promising start to the top of the third when Evan Robinson and Alec Humphreys singled in back-to-back at bats. St. Mary's responded with another in the ensuing half inning to take a 2-0 advantage.
 
Tarleton starter Kyle Gottardy kept the Rattlers off the board in the fourth after escaping a two-on, two-out jam but was touched for one more run in the fifth to force the Texans into the bullpen despite a solid start from the senior. Troyal Yosko got the final two outs of the fifth and pitched a two-hit sixth inning while allowing no runs to keep the game at 3-0.
 
Dalton Weeks tried to extend the game for the Texans with two outs in the seventh with a pinch-hit single, but a grounder ended the opening game.
 
Tarleton had six hits as a team, including a 2-2 effort from Robinson, while St. Mary's scored three runs on nine hits. Gottardy pitched 4.1 innings allowing three runs – two earned – on seven hits while Yosko accounted for the final 1.2 innings, allowing only two hits and striking out a pair.
  
In the series finale, Tarleton State's bats came to life as the Texans secured the series victory with a 12-4 win over the Rattlers to improve to 4-3 on the young season and win their first series of 2015.
 
The scoring got started in the second inning when Weeks and Zach Fleet pieced together back-to-back, two-out base hits to get a run in the first column for Tarleton State. Weeks ripped a double to left before Fleet singled him home with a base hit to center field for a 1-0 Texan lead.
 
The Rattlers struck for both of their runs on a two-run big fly in the bottom of the second inning, but Tarleton wasted no time giving Colton Burleson the lead right back
 
Elijah Christenson ripped a two-out single for his first career base hit and was followed up by a hit by pitch to Peter McMahon that put runners on first and second. Kevin Meredith cashed in with a 2-RBI double into left field for a 3-2 Tarleton lead before the inning came to a close.
 
In the fourth, Tarleton continued to do damage with two outs in the inning as Alec Humphreys went yard for the second time this weekend for a solo shot that put the Texans up 4-2 in the fourth.
 
Tarleton started scoring with some wiggle room in the fifth as a one-out double from Meredith started a four-run fifth inning. The senior scored the first run of the fifth inning when Weeks singled him home and advanced to second on a throwing error from the outfield.
 
Fleet drove in Weeks for the second time in the game with an opposite field single for a 6-2 Texan lead. Matt Mikusek coaxed a walk in the next at bat to force St. Mary's into the bullpen for the second time in the game.
 
After the new Rattler pitcher walked Humphreys to load the bases, Robinson lifted a sacrifice fly into center field to plate Fleet and Brandon Villeneuve ripped an RBI double into left field to bring home Mikusek for an 8-2 lead after five.
 
Christenson worked a walk in the next at bat to force St. Mary's into the pen one more time before the fifth inning came to a close. The Rattlers added one more in the bottom of the fifth before the teams traded blanks over the next two innings.
 
Tarleton State tacked on another four spot in the top of the eight to really open the flood gates, starting with a three-run home run from Meredith to plate Christenson and McMahon, who led off the inning with back-to-back walks. Weeks followed up Meredith's bomb with a double to left field and came around to score on an RBI single from Landon Merka.
 
Hunter Houston struck out the side in the bottom of the eighth to keep the Rattlers in check before Quade Adams finished things off in the ninth, despite allowing three straight singles to surrender one run. The senior right-hander served up a game-ending 5-4-3 double play.
 
The Texan offense accounted for 16 hits in the second-game victory, including three-hit efforts from Meredith and Weeks. Fleet, Villeneuve and Humphreys each had two base knocks while Robinson, Christenson, Mikusek and Merka accounted for the remaining hits. Meredith drove in five RBIs in the second game.
 
Colton Burleson got the starting nod for the Texans and pitched three innings of three-hit baseball, allowing two runs with a walk and four strikeouts. He was relieved by Trevor Renfro, who earned the win with three innings of work, over which he allowed just one run on three hits and a walk with a pair of K's.
 
Seth Hallmark faced two batters without recording an out before Houston came on to get six outs and bridge the gap into the ninth. Adams closed the door with the final inning of work.
 
Tarleton State will make its home debut next weekend in Stephenville when the Texans host Texas A&M International, beginning Friday at Cecil Ballow Baseball Field.