STEPHENVILLE – An extra-inning, walk-off home run by Katelyn Conlee capped off Tarleton State's doubleheader sweep and series win over Midwestern State Monday night at the TexAnn Softball Complex.
 
"This was a great game and our girls showed so much heart," said head coach Julie Mata. "To come back and play like this after not playing well in game two last night shows a lot about the fight, heart and character of our team.
 
"Our pitchers and Nyka (Wood) did a phenomenal job tonight," she continued. "Brenna threw great tonight and Haley Freyman was an absolute workhorse all weekend. I can't say enough about the job she did. As far as the offense, our girls showed tremendous fight. Delaney had a great at-bat to tie the game and Katelyn Conlee's home run was so exciting. I love this team and I'm so proud of them."
 
The wins gives Tarleton its first doubleheader sweep of Midwestern State since 2007 and the first season series win over the Mustangs since the same year.
  
Haley Freyman tossed a complete-game gem in the doubleheader opener as the TexAnn offense supplied plenty of run support in a 6-3 Tarleton win.
 
The freshman hurler danced out of trouble in the opening frame by stranding a pair of runners before the offense struck with a bases-loaded RBI from Conlee to put the TexAnns up 1-0. Tarleton added another solo run in the second inning on an error by Midwestern State to take a 2-0 lead after two innings.
 
After the teams traded a scoreless third, Midwestern State broke up the shutout bid with one run to cut the lead in half. Tarleton would strike right back, however, as the TexAnns put up a three spot in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single from Savannah Stech and a 2-RBI rip from Conlee for a 5-1 lead after four.
 
The Mustangs scored again with one in the fifth before the TexAnns countered with a Melody Mayse triple and a Conlee RBI double to lead off the sixth inning for a 6-2 lead. Despite a solo homer in the seventh, Freyman kept the Mustangs in check from there to secure the win for Tarleton.
 
Freyman threw all seven innings to earn her 12^th win of the season, in which she allowing three runs on eight hits and three walks with a strikeout.
 
Meanwhile, her offense supplied her with 12 hits including three-hit efforts from Kaitlyn Thomas, Mayse and Conlee while Stech boasted a 2-4 performance. An Erika Menchaca single rounded out the Tarleton offense for the opening game.
  
After a controversial call gave Midwestern State a 3-2 lead entering the final half-inning, Tarleton State showed its resiliency when Delaney Wayland battled her way to a game-tying RBI single to set up Conlee's extra-inning heroics.
 
Brenna Hennan earned the starting nod and was immediately locked in a pitcher's duel, beginning with a scoreless first inning. The Mustangs got the Hennan for two runs over the next two innings before the TexAnn offense came to the rescue in the bottom of the third.
 
Menchaca got the TexAnns on the board with a line-drive, laser home run to straight away centerfield to lead off the frame and bring the TexAnns within a run at 2-1 after three.
 
Hennan bounced back to keep the Mustangs off the board in the fourth to allow her offense to start the game over again with a run on an RBI double from Conlee in the ensuing half-inning to tie the score at 2-2. From then on, Hennan remained in complete control as the 2-2 tie lasted over the next two innings.
 
The senior right-hander ran into some trouble in the sixth when back-to-back walks to lead off the inning led to a change in the circle as Freyman came back in to keep Midwestern in check.
 
Freyman got a groundout that moved the runners to second and third with one out before getting a swinging strikeout for the second out of the inning. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Freyman served up a grounder to short for a force out at third base to escape the jam.
 
In the top of the seventh, controversy struck.
 
Midwestern State loaded the bases with nobody out before Freyman served up a groundball to the shortstop, who came home with the throw. Nyka Wood made the catch and appeared to have her foot on the plate before the umpire, who started to signal out, changed the call to safe for a 3-2 Midwestern State advantage. Freyman rallied, however, to get a strikeout, popup and a grounder to stop the bleeding.
 
The TexAnns pushed back in the seventh when Menchaca ripped a one-out double to the left center gap. She was lifted for pinch-runner Lauren Powers, who eventually came around to score on a full-count, two-out single up the middle by Delaney Wayland to force extra innings.
 
Freyman sat the Mustangs down in order on three straight groundouts before Conlee sent the Tarleton fans home happy with a two-out jack to deep right center for the game-winning run.
 
The Tarleton offense recorded seven hits in game two, including three from Conlee and two from Menchaca while Mayse and Wayland had the remaining two base knocks.
 
Freyman earned her 13^th win of the season with three innings of relief, over which she allowing one run on three hits and two walks with two strikeouts. Hennan tossed the first five innings, allowing two runs on six hits and four walks with five K's.
 
Tarleton State will hit the road next weekend for a four-game series in San Angelo against the Angelo State Rambelles, beginning Friday afternoon.