LAKE CHARLES, La. – Tarleton answered back from a 4-1 deficit with a four spot in the top of the sixth to take the series opener against McNeese State.
 
Tarleton struck right away with a sacrifice fly from Katy Schaefer in the top of the first to plate Morgan Medford, who led off the game with a single up the middle. After that, it was all goose eggs for the next four innings.
 
A leadoff walk to begin the bottom of the fifth brough the Cowgirl offense to life against Tristan Bridges, who had been otherwise masterful through four innings. With one out and one on, McNeese hit a single and three straight doubles to chase Bridges from the game and take a 4-1 lead. Kennedy Ferguson came on to slow the damage.
 
Tarleton wasted no time with an answer.
 
Medford once again sparked the offense with a leadoff walk. Amanda DeSario and Brady Rowland reached to load the bases and Schaefer cut the deficit in half with a single. Then, Georgia Capell tied the game with a two-run double to plate DeSario and pinch-runner Destiny Salinas.
 
Two batters later, Ashlee LaRue gave the Texans their final lead of the night with a sacrifice fly to right to bring home Bella Hernandez, Schaefer's pinch-runner.
 
Ferguson dealt through the sixth and gave up a one-out single in the seventh, which Brady Rowland quickly erased from the basepaths at second base, before ending the game with a swinging strikeout.
 
Schaefer and Capell combined for two of the team's five hits with four RBI while Medford had a two-hit, two-run scoring game in the leadoff spot. DeSario had Tarleton's fifth hit on the night.
 
Ferguson earned the win to improve to 3-0 with 2.2 innings of scoreless, one-hit relief. Bridges went 4.1 innings and struck out three.
 
The Texans and Cowgirls will return to action tomorrow with a 1 p.m. twin bill.