HAMMOND, La. – Tarleton State dropped the third game of the series against SLU on Sunday with a 5-2 final.
Freshman
Braydon Risley (L, 0-1) took the start on the bump for the Purple and White in Game 3. The right handed pitcher gave up four hits, three runs, walked two, and struck out two in 3.2 innings pitched.
The Lions claimed their first run after their third baseman, Shea Thomas, had an RBI with a single to the left side knocking in Ryan Brome. In the bottom of the third, the Lions came out swinging as TJ Salvaggio singled through the left side. Salvaggio advanced on a wild pitch to see the home team in scoring position. The second run for SLU came from Brome as he flied out to left field to allow Salvaggio to cross the plate.
In the following inning, Thomas was first in the box and cranked out a homer to add another run to the board to see the Lions up 3-0. With two outs on the board,
Zach Poe took the mound and closed out the fourth for the visiting team.
This was Poe's second appearance of the series after he pitched for 1.0 inning on Friday evening giving up one hit, one run and one strikeout. In Game 3, Poe saw 1.1 innings on the mound giving up no hits or runs but walking two and hitting one batter.
In the fifth inning, junior
Brandon Howell returned the favor to the Lions with a home run of his own, the first of the season for the Texans.
The sixth inning saw
Jack Driskell take the mound for Tarleton State. Peyton Woods walked, followed by a hit to centerfield from Michael Curry. Another Lion was walked to see the bases loaded, as Parker Coley reached on a fielder's choice to make way for another run for the home team.
In the top of the seventh,
Cole Miears was first on base after being walked. Back-to-back groundouts saw Miears advance to third, where he scored on a wild pitch to see a 4-2 score on the board.
The Texans saw a big eighth inning at the plate with one hit and three walked. With loaded bases, Miears fought back from a 0-2 count, where he ultimately struck out looking with a full count on a highly debatable strike to end what had the chance to be a game changing inning for the visiting team.
A single from Curry saw the first Lion on base in the bottom of the eighth inning followed by a walk to see Curry in scoring position. Coley singled to center field for another RBI, pushing Curry across the plate for SLU.
The final inning saw back-to-back strikeouts from the Texans until
Tyson Drake entered as a pinch hitter for the centerfielder,
Slade McCloud, and singled to right center to see some hope for the Purple and White.
Mason Hammonds was walked, putting Drake in scoring position. Howell made the final plate appearance and struck out swinging to close out the game and the series.
The Texans compiled two runs, five hits, one home run, six walks, and six strikeouts.
Howell (2), Drake (1), Hammonds (1), and Howell (2) all contributed hits for the Purple and White.
Tarleton State will host their home opener against UTSA on Tuesday at 4 p.m. at the Tarleton Baseball Complex.
