RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Tarleton exploded offensively en route to a series opening Western Athletic Conference victory over California Baptist, 12-6, on Friday night at James W. Totman Stadium.
The Texans (16-15, 2-9 WAC) hit to the tune of 12 runs on 15 hits and were also aided by four CBU (17-17, 9-7 WAC) errors.
Jack Wagner was the story of the game as the redshirt junior first baseman was 5-5 at the plate with four RBI, four runs scored and two home runs.
Three other Texans finished with multiple hits.
Cris Enriquez was 3-4 with three runs scored, his second consecutive three hit game and third in the last five games.
Dylan Kurahashi-Choy Foo was 3-5 with three RBI and
Mason Hammonds was 2-6 at the plate.
Alec Williams and
Tyson Drake each drove in two runs.
Hunter Day (W, 3-1) earned the win after throwing 5.0 innings allowing four runs on five hits, striking out five and walking four.
Zach Poe and
Jake Burcham each had scoreless appearances out of the bullpen with Burcham striking out two in the bottom of the ninth to close the door on the Lancers. Poe entered with the bases loaded in the seventh inning and forced two outs to get out of the jam. He pitched the eighth and faced just four batters.
Tarleton made a statement early, scoring three runs in the first inning as Wagner hit an RBI single and Williams scored two off a Lancer error from the shortstop. The lead stretched to 7-0 after four runs came home in the third inning.
Enriquez hit an RBI single to score Wagner and make it 4-0. A dropped fly ball by the CBU right fielder allowed two more runs to score, making it 6-0. Drake laced a single to center field to score Choy Foo and make it 7-0.
CBU answered back with four runs in the bottom of the third to make it 7-4. It was the closest they got to the Texans in the Friday night affair.
Wagner hit two home runs, a two run shot in the fourth and a solo home run in the eighth to run his team-leading tally to nine on the season.
Tarleton will look to secure the series victory tomorrow with a 7 p.m. CT first pitch. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
