STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton dropped its second straight Lone Star Conference series after falling in a Saturday afternoon doubleheader to Texas Woman's.
  
A first inning double and an error-laden second inning doomed Tarleton in the third game of the series against Texas Woman's Saturday afternoon as Tarleton was blanked 5-0 and fell to 13-11 overall and 1-6 in Lone Star Conference play.
 
The Pioneers scored first with a double to the right center gap and back-to-back sacrifice bunts, including an RBI squeeze play for the 1-0 lead. Texas Woman's broke through with four runs – all unearned – in the next inning for the 5-0 lead.
 
Tarleton wasn't without its share of chances, however, beginning as early as the bottom of the second inning. The TexAnns loaded the bases in the second and had two base runners stranded in the fourth and sixth innings.
 
Led by a two-hit effort from Rebeka Allen, Tarleton outhit the Pioneers 6-5. Allen went 2-for-3 at the dish while Savannah Stech, Katelyn Conlee, Nyka Wood, and Avery Mullendore had one hit each.
 
Haley Freyman (10-9) took the loss from the circle after throwing all seven innings and allowing five runs – only one earned – on five hits and three walks. The sophomore struck out three batters.
  
Despite loading the bases in the bottom of the seventh, the comeback effort fell just short for Tarleton in a 6-5 loss to Texas Woman's.
 
After Texas Woman's once again took the first lead of the game with a solo run in the top of the second, Tarleton battled right back an inning later to break through against Pioneer starters, Tori Bice.
 
Taylor Fitzgerald got things started with a hard line drive into left field. After a sacrifice bunt from Lauren Powers moved her to second, Melody Mayse singled into left field and went to second on the throw home that kept Fitzgerald at third base – setting up runners at second and third with one out.
 
Savannah Stech put Tarleton on the board with a perfectly placed single into centerfield to bring home the pair of TexAnn baserunners for a 2-1 lead. A lead that would hold until the fourth inning when Texas Woman's scored four, two-out runs to take the lead right back at 5-2.
 
Tarleton had a chance to cut into the deficit right away with back-to-back leadoff singles from Mullendore and Alyssa Ringhausen, but a sacrifice bunt, a looking strikeout on a decision that left the Tarleton faithful unhappy, and a foul out to third base ended the threat.
 
Texas Woman's led off the next inning with a double to force Tarleton into the bullpen but Shelby Hedrick came on in relief and danced out of danger. Nyka Wood erased the leadoff double by hosing the runner at third on a stolen base attempt.
 
After the Pioneers scored a costly run in the top of the sixth, Mullendore and Hedrick gave the Tarleton offense a spark with a line drive single into left and a home run down the left field line, respectively, to bring Tarleton back within two at 6-4. Hedrick then went to the circle and shut the Pioneers down to set up an eventful bottom of the seventh.
 
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Mullendore comes up with an RBI double down the left field line to pull Tarleton within one at 6-5. Hedrick battled in the ensuing at bat and coaxed a two-out walk to load the bases, but a groundout to shortstop ended the comeback attempt.
 
Mullendore had a career day at this dish, going 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI to lead Tarleton's nine-hit effort. The TexAnns got one hit each from Mayse, Stech, Nyka Wood, Ringhausen, Hedrick, and Fitzgerald to round out the offense.
 
Ringhausen took the loss in four innings of work after allowing five runs – four earned – on nine hits and a walk with one strikeout. Hedrick pitched three innings of relief, allowing one run on four hits.
 
Tarleton (13-12, 1-7) will take a break from league play with a Tuesday doubleheader at Texas A&M International. The TexAnns will return home Saturday against St. Edward's at 1 p.m.