STEPHENVILLE – Despite an absolute gem hurled by Trevor Renfro in game one, Tarleton dropped both games of Saturday afternoon's doubleheader to Angelo State.
 
"We tip our cap to Angelo State today," said head coach Bryan Conger. "They were able to take advantage of their opportunities and win both games. We will need to show some resiliency and pride tomorrow. The goal is to come out and truly compete one pitch at a time and see what happens."
  
The opening game of Saturday afternoon's Lone Star Conference rivalry doubleheader between Tarleton and Angelo State delivered an epic pitching duel, which unfortunately did not go favorably for the Texans in a 1-0, nine-inning loss in a game that was originally scheduled to be seven innings.
 
Trevor Renfro suffered the loss from the mound despite turning in, arguably, the most masterful pitching performance of his two-year Tarleton career. The senior right-hander from Richardson threw all nine innings, allowing just one run on nine hits and two walks while striking out three.
 
Renfro's afternoon started a little rocky as he walked two of the first three batters of the game, but – after a mound visit from head coach Bryan Conger – settled down with a strikeout and a soft line drive into right field to retire the side and strand the first two of the 10 Ram base runners Renfro would leave on base in the game.
 
The Rams challenged again in the second with runners on the corners and one out and tried to put a run on the board with a safety-squeeze bunt, but Renfro got off the mound quickly to his glove side to field the ball and flip to the plate to keep the Rams off the board. He polished off the second inning with a fly ball to left to keep things scoreless into the second. The same situation came up in the fourth when the Rams put runners on the corners with one out, but Renfro again danced out of danger with a pop up and a fly ball.
 
While Renfro kept the Rams in check, Tarleton had a big chance to claim a walk-off win in the bottom of the seventh when Jake Hasbrouck led the inning off with a base hit up the middle. Hasbrouck was the only Texan with at least two hits in the game, going 2-for-3 before being lifted for a pinch runner in the seventh.
 
Peter McMahon came in to run at first for Hasbrouck and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Landon Merka. After an intentional walk to Zach McCown, Zach Fleet came up with a one-out single through the left side to load the bases with one away. The threat would come to an end, however, with a looking strikeout and an out at home plate when McMahon tried to score on an overthrow back to the mound from the catcher – sending the game into extra innings.
 
After Angelo State scored the game's only run on a two-out bloop single just behind second base, Tarleton threatened one more time by loading the bases once again in the bottom of the ninth before a shallow fly ball and a ground ball to the shortstop ended the pitcher's duel.
  
Tarleton couldn't overcome five Angelo State runs over the first two innings of Saturday's second game as the Texans suffered a sweep at the hands of Angelo State.
 
Angelo got on the board with three unearned runs in the opening frame, which ultimately sent Tarleton starter Callaway Kirkpatrick to his fifth loss of the season. The Texan lefty went the distance in the tough-luck loss, allowing six runs – three earned – on eight hits and a walk with two strikeouts.
 
Meanwhile, Tarleton managed seven base hits over the course of the game including two from leadoff hitter Forrest Perron. Alec Humphreys, Hunter Seales, Landon Thompson, Hasbrouck, and Dalton Richardson had one hit each to round out the offense. Tarleton's only run of the game came in the third inning when Zach McCown scored on a double play with no outs and the bases loaded.
 
Tarleton and Angelo State will wrap up the series with a nine-inning game at 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon at the Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex in Stephenville.