STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton scored two and had the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh but couldn't complete the comeback in an 8-7 series-opening loss against Texas A&M-Kingsville Saturday night.
 
After an error in the second inning allowed Kingsville to plate the first two runs of the game, Tarleton answered back with two of their own in the third when Morgan Sebastian ripped an RBI single up the middle and Elizabeth Svienty plated a second with an RBI infield single.
 
The 2-2 score held up into the fifth when Kingsville plated two more runs for a 4-2 edge.
 
Tarleton had another answer, though, as the TexAnns battled back with an RBI single from Tanna Huie, a sacrifice fly from Karli Herron, and another sacrifice fly from Kadyn Kirkpatrick to take a 5-4 lead.
 
Kingsville put up four in the ensuing half-inning to take an 8-5 lead, which carried into the seventh.
 
Svienty and Capell started the seventh-inning rally with back-to-back singles and Karli Herron followed up with a one-out single to load the bases. Kadyn Kirkpatrick drove two across with a grounder that kicked off the third baseman's glove and into the outfield to bring Tarleton within one at 8-7.
 
After a lineout, Morgan Ling kept the rally alive with a walk to load the bases but a strikeout ended the threat.
 
Tarleton pounded out 10 hits in the game, led by two-hit performances from Svienty, Herron, and Sebastian. Capell, Huie, Kirkpatrick, and Ling had one each. Svienty and Capell each had two runs scored in the top of the lineup.
 
Jordan Withrow took the loss with five innings of work, allowing eight runs – six earned – on five hits and four walks while striking out five. Rachel Williams pitched two innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit.
 
Tarleton and Kingsville will look to reignite the series tomorrow at 1 p.m. in Stephenville.