SAN ANTONIO – Tarleton State dropped a pitcher's duel in the Rattler Invitational Tournament finale – falling 3-1 to No. 13 Central Oklahoma Sunday afternoon.
 
The TexAnns had plenty of opportunities to bring runs across, but left 10 runners on the base paths with only one coming across the plate in the first inning of the game when Tarleton loaded the bases to lead off the game.
 
Melody Mayse worked a lead-off walk before Savannah Stech and Katelyn Conlee reached on bunt singles. Nyka Wood got the only RBI of the game after working a bases-loaded walk to give Tarleton the lead, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the Tarleton threat in the first.
 
Meanwhile, Central Oklahoma answered with single runs in the first, third and fourth to take a 3-1 lead while Tarleton stranded base runners in every inning, including two in the fourth on a Mikayla Stogsdill walk and a Rebekah Allen single.
 
Stech went 2-4 at the dish while Conlee, Kady Crow, Allen and Lauren Powers had the rest of Tarleton State's six hits.
 
Shelby Hedrick earned the starting nod and pitched the first two-thirds of the game after allowing one run on one hit and three walks. She was relieved by Haley Freyman, who pitched the final 5.1 innings and allowed two runs – one earned – on four hits and one walk with two strikeouts.
 
Tarleton State will begin Lone Star Conference play in Stephenville next weekend against No. 1 West Texas A&M, beginning Friday at 5 p.m.