WICHITA FALLS – The second complete game shutout of
Haley Freyman's career lifted Tarleton to a win in the opening game of the series in a split of Friday's doubleheader against the Mustangs.
Game 1: Tarleton 4, Midwestern State 0
Haley Freyman tossed her second career complete game shutout – both of which have come this season – to lead the TexAnns past the Mustangs in a 4-0 win Friday evening.
Freyman's effort didn't come without threats as Midwestern State stranded at least one base runner in five of the seven innings, including two each in the sixth and seventh innings. With Tarleton leading 4-0 in the sixth, Freyman got Midwestern's leading hitter – Katelyn Vinson – to roll over on a pitch and ground it to shortstop to escape the damage. She followed suit in the seventh by getting the final out on a grounder back to the circle with a pair of Mustangs on base.
Meanwhile, her offense did its part.
An RBI single from
Nyka Wood plated
Melody Mayse in the top of the first for the first run of the game and a 1-0 TexAnn lead, which would ultimately be the game winner. For the sake of insurance, Tarleton tacked on three more in the top of the fourth with a two-RBI single from Mayse and an RBI groundout from Stech to extend the Tarleton lead.
Tarleton's four runs came on nine hits, including two each from Mayse, Wood, and
Lauren Powers.
Katelyn Conlee,
Avery Mullendore, and
Delaney Wayland each had one hit in the effort.
Meanwhile, Freyman won her 12
th game of the season and the 35
th of her young career. She pitched all seven innings, allowing no runs on three hits and seven walks. The sophomore right hander struck out four.
Game 2: Midwestern State 8, Tarleton 5
In the nightcap, there was one inning standing between Tarleton and a sweep of the twin bill as Midwestern State scored eight runs in the fifth inning to drop the TexAnns.
Tarleton went to work with solo runs in the first, second, and fifth innings. Wood drove home the first run of the game with an RBI groundout before
Delaney Wayland extended the lead in the following inning with an RBI double into right center for a 2-0 Tarleton lead. Wayland was also responsible for the third run in the fifth inning when she scored on a double steal for a 3-0 advantage.
Midwestern scored its eight runs all at once in their half of the fifth while Wayland wasn't quite finish. The sophomore shortstop blasted a two-run home run to right field for Tarleton's final two runs of the game, which wasn't quite enough as Tarleton fell 8-5.
Wayland led Tarleton's 11-hit attack with a 3-for-3 effort with two runs scored and three driven in. Mayse had two hits of her own while Stech,
Rebeka Allen, Conlee,
Amanda Conner, Powers, and Freyman rounded out the Tarleton offense.
The teams will return to action tomorrow at 2 p.m. to wrap up the series.
