LAREDO – Tarleton pounded out 10 runs on 17 hits in the first game of Monday's twin bill at Texas A&M International to earn a split of the two games with the Dustdevils.
 
The TexAnns were on the verge of a sweep before International took advantage of a seventh-inning error en route to scoring two runs to hand Tarleton a walk-off loss in the second game.
 
"We have to learn to close out ball games," said head coach Mark Cumpian. "Right now, we are so close to breaking through with this young roster that once we can play to our best when it matters most then we're going to be tough to beat."
   
The TexAnns blasted away for 17 base hits, including three from Maddie Quintanar in the leadoff spot, and got two-RBI performances from Mikayla Stogsdill, Nyka Wood, and Kadyn Kirkpatrick to put Tarleton back in the win column with a 10-3 victory.
 
Texas A&M International struck first on a two-run single into right to take a two-run lead. However, Tarleton quickly had enough of that.
 
Amanda Conner started things off with a single and, after a fielder's choice, back-to-back singles from Kirkpatrick and Avery Mullendore allowed the first run to come across. The TexAnns kept the inning going and later added two more runs when Kirkpatrick and Mullendore scored on an error for a 3-2 Tarleton lead.
 
After the teams traded goose eggs in the third, Tarleton went for five in the fourth – starting with a two-RBI single from Stogsdill that plated a pair and set up two runners for Nyka Wood. The junior catcher cashed in with a two-RBI double into right field. Kirkpatrick finished off the scoring with an RBI single to bring home Wood for an 8-2 TexAnn advantage.
 
Kirkpatrick drove in Tarleton's ninth unanswered run in the top of the sixth with a sacrifice fly to plate Meghann Wrinkle.
 
After International added a solo homer in the sixth, Tarleton responded with one more in the seventh on an RBI double to center by Megan Durante to bring the game to its final score.
 
Every Tarleton starting lineup had at least one base hit, led by Quintanar's 3-for-5 day. Wood, Durante, Kirkpatrick, Mullendore, and Kaitlyn Thomas each had two base hits in the game while Marisa Flores, Savannah Stech, Amanda Conner, and Stogsdill each had one hit for the game.
 
Meanwhile, in the circle, Haley Freyman earned her 51^st career win and the fifth of her junior season by tossing all seven innings and allowing three runs – one earned – on four hits while striking out five.
   
Tarleton dropped its seventh game of the season in the second game of the twin bill when Texas A&M International cashed in for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to hand the TexAnns a walk-off loss.
 
Texas A&M International scored first with a run on a passed ball in the bottom of the fourth, but the TexAnns answered right back in the fifth when Nyka Wood drove in Quintanar with an RBI single into left field to tie things at 1-1. Tarleton took a 2-1 lead later in the inning when Kadyn Kirkpatrick coaxed an RBI walk to put Tarleton on top.
 
The TexAnns carried their 2-1 advantage into the final frame before the Dustdevils got a double and a hit by pitch before an error allowed the game to come to a 2-2 tie. International walked it off two batters later on an RBI single.
 
Jordan Withrow took the tough-luck loss after allowing three runs – none earned – on five hits and one walk while striking out six.
 
Wood led the team at the dish with a 3-for-3 game and an RBI while Quintanar also had a multi-hit game by going 2-for-4. Stogsdill, Durante, Stech, and Mullendore had one hit each to round out the nine-hit effort.
 
Tarleton will stay on the road this weekend with a three-game Lone Star Conference series in Portales, New Mexico against Eastern New Mexico, beginning with a Friday doubleheader at 1 p.m.