COMMERCE – For the second time this week, Kady Crow came through in the clutch with a game-winning RBI in extra innings to lead Tarleton to its third win of the season and a split on the first day of the Lion Classic.
 
"It was incredible to see the fight in this team," said head coach Julie Mata. "We've had a lot of girls battling illness, including Kady Crow and Shelby (Hedrick) who both stepped up and delivered clutch base hits for us. Erika Menchaca laid down a great bunt and, honestly, I don't know if we win that game without that bunt.
 
"Also, we got a great effort from Haley Freyman," she added. "She pitched with such heart and really did an incredible job today. I'm so proud of her."
  
Defense doomed Tarleton State in the first game of the Lion Classic as the TexAnns couldn't overcome six errors and fell to Southern Nazarene for their first loss of the season.
 
The Crimson Storm jumped out early with a three spot in the opening frame on three unearned runs in the opening inning.
 
Tarleton State chipped away at the plate with one run in the bottom of the first when Melody Mayse clubbed her first triple of the year to the left center gap and came in to score on a throwing error on the shortstop. In the second, Tarleton clawed a little closer with an RBI single from Kaitlyn Thomas to make it 3-2 after two.
 
After Southern Nazarene added another run in the top of the third, Tarleton tied the game at 4-4 when Conlee led off the bottom of the third with her second home run of the season and Kady Crow tripled and scored on an error.
 
Southern Nazarene pulled away, however, with two in the fourth, one in the fifth and one in the seventh. Tarleton inched closer when Delaney Wayland hit her first career home run – a two-run shot that pulled Tarleton within one at 7-6 – but could get no closer en route to the loss.
 
Tarleton totaled 10 hits for the game, including Conlee who went 3-3 with a run and an RBI. Nyka Wood also had a multi-hit game, going 2-4, while Thomas, Mayse, Wayland, Crow and Lauren Powers had the rest of Tarleton's hits.
 
Haley Freyman took the tough-luck loss in her first career start, tossing her first complete game allowing eight runs – only four earned – on 12 hits and striking out seven.
  
In the nightcap of the day-one doubleheader, Tarleton State played an error-free game as Crow hit her second game-winning single of the week to give the TexAnns their first win over Northeastern State since 2008.
 
Tarleton State was forced to play from behind early on as the Riverhawks put up a five spot in the bottom of the second on a two-run homer, an RBI single and a two-run double. Freyman came out of the pen to stop the bleeding and keep the Riverhawks in check after that inning.
 
Meanwhile, the TexAnn offense came to life in the fourth when Savannah Stech drove in her first runs for Tarleton on a 2-RBI single up the middle to plate Rebekah Allen and Conlee to cut the deficit to 5-2.
 
After Freyman tossed her third straight scoreless inning from the circle to keep the game at 5-2, Tarleton tied things up in the sixth on an RBI fielder's choice from Crow and a pinch-hit, 2-RBI single from Shelby Hedrick to make it a brand new ballgame at 5-5.
 
The game stayed 5-5 into the seventh when Stech drove in her third run of the game with an RBI single to plate Conlee and give the TexAnns a 7-6 lead into the final half-inning.
 
Northeastern State would not go down quietly, however, as the Riverhawks tied things up on a double, sacrifice fly and RBI single over the first three hitters. The Riverhawks got runners on first and second with one out, but Freyman stepped up to the challenge and got a foul out and a grounder to second base to escape the jam and force extra innings.
 
In the extra frame, Wood was placed on second base to start the inning due to tournament rules and was bunted over the third base on a single by Erika Menchaca. The Menchaca bunt set up the Crow single to win the game, plating Freyman who came in to run for Wood at third.
 
Crow also the walk-off single in the season opener against Southwestern Oklahoma Monday night in Stephenville.
 
In the final half inning, Freyman worked out of a potential catastrophe after a wild pitch let the placed runner advance to third with nobody out. The freshman answered back to stop a line drive up the middle and get the fielder's choice out at the plate. She got two more ground outs to seal the win.
 
Tarleton State recorded double-figure hits for the fourth straight game to open the season. The TexAnns were led by a 3-4 effort from Stech and got two-hit performances from Conlee and Wood while Hedrick, Mayse, Menchaca and Crow added the rest of the TexAnn base hits.
 
Conlee started the game in the circle and pitched the first inning before being relieved by Freyman in the second. Freyman earned her second career win by throwing seven innings, allowing one run on six hits and striking out two.
 
Freyman threw 14 of the 15 total innings Tarleton played Saturday afternoon.
 
Tarleton State will return to action tomorrow at 10 a.m. against the same two teams to wrap up the first-ever Lion Classic.