BELLEVUE, Wash. – Tarleton baseball earned a 2-1 series opening victory over the Seattle U Redhawks on Friday evening.
Tarleton's starting pitcher
Hunter Day (W, 5-1) threw a season-high 8.0 innings allowing just one run on four hits, striking out five and walking none as he led the Texans (23-16, 7-10 WAC) to their sixth straight win and fourth straight conference win.
Seattle U (13-25, 9-10 WAC) looked to be a threat in the bottom of the ninth as they had runners on first and third with one out, trailing 2-1.
Second baseman
Jordan Andrade proceeded to make a clutch defensive play, fielding a ground ball, stepping on second base, and throwing to first to complete the double play and end the game.
Zane Badmaev (S, 2) picked up his second save of the season as he threw the ninth inning.
The Texan pitching staff issued no walks, just one game removed from walking Baylor once while striking out 16.
Both starting pitchers pitched well, with Seattle U's Peter Chronowski (L, 2-7) throwing 7.0 innings allowing two runs on seven hits, walking none and striking out six.
Tarleton broke through first offensively, taking the 1-0 lead in the fifth inning. Andrade hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored
Dylan Kurahashi-Choy Foo who previously hit a ground-rule double to center field.
The Redhawks tied the game in the sixth off a solo home run from Trevor Antonson, their lone run of the game.
The go ahead run came in the seventh inning. Tarleton center fielder
Alec Williams lifted a solo home run to right field to lead the inning off and to put the Texans up for good.
Tarleton will look to secure the series win on Saturday with another 6 p.m. first pitch on the docket.
