STEPHENVILLE – After dropping the first game of Saturday's twin bill to Commerce, freshman Jordan Withrow tossed her first career complete game victory while Kadyn Kirkpatrick walked it off with an RBI single in the eighth inning to give Tarleton a win in game three of the series.
 
"I'm very proud of the way we came back and fought in the third game," said head coach Mark Cumpian. "You can really see a team's character when the series has already been decided, but they fought and scratched out a win in game three and I'm proud of that effort. I can't say enough about the job Jordan and Kadyn did. They came up big for us today."
   
Tarleton dropped a barn burner in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, which ultimately sent the TexAnns to a series loss in their Lone Star Conference opening series at the Tarleton Softball Complex in Stephenville.
 
Amanda Conner got things started with her first career home run as the sophomore first baseman blasted off to deep left field with Mikayla Stogsdill on base after a single to give Tarleton its first lead of the series at 2-0. Nyka Wood followed up with a double off the center field wall before the inning came to a close with Tarleton up 2-0.
 
Commerce answered with a solo home run in the third and a two-spot in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead, but Tarleton came fighting back with a three-run answer in the bottom half of the fourth.
 
After a fielder's choice left Meghann Wrinkle on first with two away, Maddie Quintanar coaxed a walk to set up an RBI opportunity for Stogsdill – who cashed in with an RBI single into left field. Conner kept the good times rolling with a two-run single off the right-center wall to give her a new career high four RBIs for the afternoon.
 
Commerce struck right back with four unanswered runs over the next two innings, however, to hand Tarleton its second conference loss in as many games.
 
Tarleton outhit the Lions 10-7, led by Conner's three-hit, four-RBI performance. Stogsdill was 2-for-4 at the dish while Quintanar Wood, Stech, Avery Mullendore, and Marisa Flores rounded out the offense with one hit each.
 
Kaleigh Williams started and allowed three runs over the first three innings allowing three runs on three hits and two walks. Alyssa Ringhausen came on for two hitters out of the bullpen before giving way to Haley Freyman for the final four innings.
   
Jordan Withrow tossed her first career complete game win while Kadyn Kirkpatrick ended things in Tarleton's favor with an laser down the left field line to bring home Savannah Stech for the game winner.
 
Withrow was in complete control from the get-go as the freshman from Trenton tossed all eight innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out a career high six. She also kept the Lions off the board over the final three innings of the game, giving her offense time to come up with an RBI.
 
Tarleton cracked the scoreboard in the second to tie the game at 1-1 when Stech crossed the plate on a wild pitch. The TexAnns tacked on one more in the third when Stech answered again with an RBI single to plate Mikayla Stogsdill for a 2-1 lead.
 
Commerce got their final run in the fifth, but Withrow stopped the momentum right there and kept the Lions in check the rest of the way.
 
In the eighth, Stech kept the game alive when the senior beat out an infield single to first with a head-first slide into the bag. After she took second on a wild pitch, Kirkpatrick delivered with a rope down the line to bring Stech around to score.
 
Tarleton had nine hits for the game, including three from Stech and two from Kirkpatrick. Quintanar, Stogsdill, Conner, and Kaitlyn Thomas had one hit each.
 
The TexAnns will have a quick turnaround as they will head to Laredo Monday for a doubleheader against Texas A&M International at 12 p.m.