SAN ANTONIO – Tarleton picked up right where it left off last weekend as the TexAnns pounded Fort Hays State 16-3 to begin the St. Mary's College Classic Friday afternoon for a school-record seventh consecutive win to begin the year.
 
"Today was another total team effort," said head coach Mark Cumpian. "We were able to utilize our whole team and everybody did their job. We started out a little sluggish but I'm proud of the way we responded after the first inning. We need to stay focused and come out ready to go against two very good teams tomorrow.
 
"As far as starting 7-0, I'm very proud of the effort these girls have had so far but the most important thing to me is that we continue to come to the park every day with intent," he continued. "Our goal every game is to take care of the task directly in front of us. The 7-0 start is cool but we just want to keep improving every day."
 
Fort Hays jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but the TexAnns wasted no time in answering back as Tarleton put up an eight spot in the ensuing half-inning to take control of the game after one and a half.
 
Walks got things started as Megan Durante and Karli Herron reached on free bases with one away to start the inning before Marisa Flores cashed in with a two-RBI double down the right field line to knot the game at 2-2.
 
After a fielder's choice, a Maddie Quintanar walk sparked a two-out rally.
 
Two more walks from Meghann Wrinkle and Nyka Wood plated the third run of the inning and gave the TexAnns their first lead of the game. The middle of the order kept things rolling with an RBI single from Georgia Capell, a two-RBI double from Durante, and a two-RBI single from Tanna Huie to cap off the inning at 8-2.
 
Tarleton tacked on three more in the third when Morgan Ling led things off with a double before coming around to score on an RBI single from Wrinkle, who got to trot around the bases two batter later when Capell went yard to left field for a two-run job and an 11-2 lead.
 
The entire TexAnn roster got in on the action, starting in the fourth, after Huie led the inning off with a single. The TexAnns got back-to-back singles from pinch hitters Lexi Grimaldo and Kaylee Rodriquez, whose single up the middle drove in Huie for the RBI. After Elizabeth Svienty moved the runners up a base, Kloe Corbin stepped off the bench and delivered more RBI off the bench with a two-run double to center. With this at bat, Corbin has three at bats in her TexAnn career – all pinch hits – and is 3-for-3 with five RBI, a double, and a home run.
 
Tarleton wasn't done there as Wrinkle and Wood reached to setup a two-RBI, pinch-hit double from Destiny Crumpley to extend the TexAnn lead out to 16-2. Fort Hays tacked on one more run in the bottom of the fifth, but it wasn't enough to keep the game alive as the TexAnns recorded the early victory after five innings.
 
As a team, Tarleton pounded out 15 hits led by four two-hit performances. Wrinkle, Capell, Huie, and Rodriquez each had two hits while Corbin, Wood, Crumpley, Durante, Grimaldo, Flores, and Ling had one each. Capell led the way with three RBI while Corbin, Crumpley, Durante, Huie, and Flores each had two runs batted in for the contest. Wrinkle led the team with three runs scored.
 
While the offense was rolling, Haley Freyman was on her way to her third win of the young season. The senior right-hander twirled the first four innings of work to earn the victory, allowing two runs on four hits with a strikeout. She was relieved in the fifth by Julia Wernet in her collegiate debut. Wernet allowed one run on two hits and a walk in her first inning of work.
 
Tarleton will get back to action with two games tomorrow beginning at 10 a.m. with a non-conference game against league rival Texas Woman's. The TexAnns will follow up with a game against California (Pa.) at 12:15 p.m.