HOUSTON – Arkansas-Monticello scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning to break a 6-6 tie and ultimately send Tarleton to its second loss of the season Friday afternoon at Minute Maid Park.
 
The fourth annual trip to the home of the Astros got off to a rocky start when the Boll Weevils, who started things off as the visiting team, put up a three spot on just one base hit to take a quick 3-0 lead. That lead held through the second as starter Blain Bagley threw up a goose egg in his second inning of work before the Texan offense went to work.
 
With one away in the bottom of the second, Tarleton's Hunter Seales lined a triple to the right center gap and then came in to score on the ensuing at bat from a wild pitch to put Tarleton on the board. Four batters later with the bases loaded, Alec Humphreys' hustle down the line led to another Texan run when the senior from Midlothian beat out a potential double-play ball to allow the run to score from third and cut the deficit to 3-2 after two.
 
Freshman Daniel Bogue came out of the pen to start the third inning and ran into some trouble after loading the bases with one away. The rookie got out of the jam by fielding a grounder back at him and getting the force at home before ending the inning with a zero spot on a ground ball to shortstop.
 
The offense wasted no time getting back to work when Elijah Christenson one-hopped the left centerfield wall for a leadoff double. Two batters later, Dalton Richardson brought him home with a triple before Seales went shopping at the gap for the second straight at bat. Seales was out at third trying for another triple, but it was enough to plate Richardson for Tarleton's first lead of the game at 4-3.
 
After a scoreless fourth, Bogue allowed the first runs of his young career when the Boll Weevils struck for another three spot to retake the lead 6-4 – which would hold until the bottom of the sixth inning.
 
Tarleton got a pair of unearned runs in the sixth when Seales and Matt Olive came across the plate to tie the game at 6-6. Meanwhile, Jacob French came out of the bullpen to pitch the sixth inning and was dominant for three frames as the senior from Kingwood kept Monticello off the board. French pitched three innings, allowing no runs on just one hit with three strikeouts.
 
In the ninth, Callaway Kirkpatrick – who would be credited with the loss – came on in relief of French and was touched up for a leadoff triple and a hit by pitch – with a strikeout in between – before giving way to Hunter Houston. A walk loaded the bases before Monticello took the lead on a two-run single into left field passed the drawn in infield. A throwing error on a possible double-play ball allowed another run to score and extended the inning for an RBI single as the Boll Weevils put up four to take a 10-6 lead.
 
Tarleton had a couple of hard line drive outs before bowing out in the ninth.
 
Seales led the way for the offense with a 3-for-4 day at the dish, going for three-fourths of the cycle with a triple, a double, and a single to go along with two runs scored and an RBI. Alec Humphreys, Christenson, Richardson, Landon Merka, and Matt Olive each had one hit to give the Texan offense eight hits for the game.
 
Tarleton will look for redemption tomorrow night at 6 p.m. when the Texans square off with No. 6 St. Cloud State at the Home of the Astros, Minute Maid Park in Houston.