STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton used a four-run seventh inning to rally back from a late deficit and complete the three-game sweep of UT Permian Basin in Stephenville.
 
Tarleton jumped out to a big lead in the first two innings as UTPB allowed the Texans to score five runs in the first inning on one hit, five walks, two hit by pitches and two run-scoring wild pitches. Tarleton tacked on another in the second on a home run from Blake Burns – his third in the last two days.
 
Then the bats were slightly silenced over the next four innings. The Texans scored solo runs in the fourth and sixth innings on a bases-loaded double play and a two-strike, two-out RBI from Ian Groves, respectively, while the Falcons scored nine runs over those four innings to lead 9-8.
 
After the Falcons scored another in the top of the seventh to lead 10-8, Tarleton got things back on track after the stretch when Zach Mesa and Tyler Fowler led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Reed Hamilton followed up with a fly ball to right that was deep enough for Mesa to take third and set up the offense at first and third.
 
Corey Young got a squeeze bunt down to bring home Mesa and cut the Texan deficit to one at 10-9. After UT Permian Basin opted not to pitch to the red-hot Burns, Luke Morton made them pay with a two-run single through the right side to put the Texans up 11-10.
 
Jordan Parker put down another squeeze bunt to pad the lead at 12-10.
 
Zane Badmaev supplied Tarleton with a shutdown inning by striking out the side in the eighth. The UT Permian Basin threatened in the ninth with the bases loaded but Luke Baley slammed the door with back-to-back strikeouts to notch his first Tarleton save.
 
Garrett Leggitt earned his first collegiate start and went the first three innings allowing two runs and striking out three. Ty Windham and Ty Jones combined for the next three innings before giving way to John Bridgeman, who worked the seventh inning with a pair of strikeouts to earn the win. Badmaev and Baley combined for the final two innings and struck out five.
 
Young and Burns paced the offense with three hits each while Fowler, Morton, Parker, Groves, Jon Law, and Mesa had one hit each to round out the 12-hit attack.
 
Tarleton will host Arkansas-Fort Smith next weekend for the first four-game series of the season beginning Friday at 2 p.m. in Stephenville.