STEPHENVILLE, Texas – There was no shortage of runs Tuesday night at the Tarleton Softball Complex as Tarleton State (15-19, 3-5 WAC) and Abilene Christian (11-18, 3-5 WAC) combined for 26 in the 71st and 72nd meeting, a matchup dating back to 1997.
 
The stage was set Tuesday night in Stephenville as both teams were 2-4 in conference and looked to move to .500 in conference and go up two games in the all-time series between the two.
 
Game 1 was all Texans until the fifth inning when the Wildcats finally got a run on the board. ACU then put up a four-spot in the sixth before Tarleton State added a run in the bottom of the frame and then got the final three outs in the top of the seventh winning 8-5.
 
Game 2 started out hopeful with the Texans going up 2-0 early before giving up back-to-back two-spots in the late innings. Tarleton State had the tying run in scoring position and the go-ahead run aboard but a strikeout by Jordan Dickerson on a 2-2 counted ended the hopes of a comeback win. The Wildcats took the game 7-6 leaving the all-time series tied at 36-36.
 
Tarleton State 8 Abilene Christian 5
 
If you weren't there from the beginning, you missed the best offensive starts of the season as the Texans put up a six-spot in the bottom of the first taking the early 6-0 lead that held through four innings. The next best start this season dates back to March 16 when the Texans put up a four-spot against Utah Valley in the final game of the series.
 
Katy Schaefer got the Texans on the board with a double to left field scoring Kelci Hill and Kayla Wallace. Kelci Hill reached on a single to center while Wallace doubled to center moving Kelci Hill to third before they both came in to score giving Tarleton State the early 2-0 lead.
 
Kalyn Hill then doubled down the right field line scoring Katy Schaefer making it 3-0 Texans. Bella Hernandez then reached base on an error by the shortstop that allowed Kalyn Hill to score putting the home Purple and White up 4-0.
 
Just when ACU thought they could close out the inning, Brady Rowland homered high over the left field wall on a 3-2 count. Rowland collected two RBI pushing Hernandez across and pushing the lead to 6-0 Texans. Talia Neilsen, the Wildcats' starter was then pulled after only going 0.2 IP giving up six runs on five hits. Lina Russo then took over in the circle for Abilene Christian.
 
In the bottom of the second the Texans squeaked another run across making it 7-0 as Tristyn Trull grounded out to the shortstop but Kelci Hill came in from third following her lead-off triple to open the bottom half of the inning.
 
The third and fourth went by without any runs being pushed across for either team before the Wildcats finally broke the shutout, scoring one in the top of the fifth. Olivia Marble singled up the middle scoring Miranda Lista who reached on a 3-2 walk (SBBBSFB) making it 7-1 Tarleton State.
 
In the top of the sixth Elizabeth Schaefer got things going as the Wildcats put up a four-spot to make it 7-5 with the Texans still leading. Elizabeth Schaefer doubled to left center scoring Riley White who reached on a walk, making it 7-2.
 
After going 5.1 innings the Texans' junior right-hander Alexa Rehmeier was pulled for fellow transfer in Hannah Blincoe. Lista singled to center field scoring two for the Wildcats in Teiah Keliiholokai and Rachel Cook making it 7-4.
 
Kaydee Bennett then doubled down the right field line pushing Lista making it 7-5. Blincoe was then pulled after facing three batters for senior right-hander Makenzie Dunbar. This marked Dunbar's first of two relief appearances in the midweek doubleheader. Dunbar came in and recorded the final two outs to preserve the Texans' two-run lead.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, Tarleton State tacked on an insurance run making it 8-5 Texans. Wallace doubled down the right field line as Hannah Reed came across the plate to score the Texans' final run of the game. Reed came into the game to pinch run for Brady Rowland who was slotted in the designated player spot for Game 1.
 
Dunbar saw ACU go three up three down in the top of the seventh securing the Texan's 15th victory of the season. White fouled out to the catcher before Sydney Kaiser struck out looking on a 2-2 count (BSKBK). Cook was the final out for the Wildcats as she grounded out to second base.
 
For the Texans, Rehmeier (4-4) did the bulk of the work going 5.1 IP. She threw 4.2 innings of scoreless softball before Abilene pushed a run across breaking up the shutout. She gave up four runs on five hits, striking out one and walking none.
 
Blincoe faced three batters giving up one run on two hits before being pulled with no outs in the inning. She also walked one. Dunbar went the final 1.2 innings not giving up any runs or hits while she struck out one and walked one.
 
For the Wildcats, Neilsen went just 0.2 IP as Tarleton State was all over her out the gate. She gave up six runs (three earned) on five hits and struck out one. Russo did the heavy lifting for ACU going 5.1 innings while she gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits. She also struck out one and walked one as well.
 
Tarleton State 6 Abilene Christian 7
 
Game 2 of the day saw 13 runs be scored just like Game 1, but this time had a different outcome not to the Texans liking.
 
Tarleton State once again struck in the first inning as Trull singled to center scoring Wallace who reached on reached on a triple to center giving the Texans the early 1-0. This marks Wallace's second three-bagger of the season, sixth of her Texan career. She is two away from cracking the top-10 all-time in program history for triples as there is currently a three-way tie for eighth between Lora Sykora (8, 1997-2000), Kristin Williams (8, 2002-05) and current Texan and teammate Kelci Hill (8, 2023-24).
 
Austin Germain then hit a sac fly to right field scoring Trull making it 2-0 Texans. This is the 13th time this season that the Texans have plated at least one run in the first inning.
 
The second inning went by with goose eggs for both teams before ACU took their first lead of the game 3-2 in the top of the third.
 
Elizabeth Schaefer is credited with tying things up at 2-2 as she singled up the middle scoring Bubba Rote and Marble. Rote singled to the shortstop while Marble reached with a single to right field. The Wildcats took their first lead of the day as Kaiser hit a sac fly to right field scoring Isabel Martinez making it 3-2 visitors.
 
The Texans had a delayed response to ACU's three-spot putting up one of their own in the bottom of the fourth. Kelci Hill doubled to right center scoring Reed (who pinch ran for Brady Rowland following her walk) as things were tied for the second time this game. The double from Kelci Hill is her 13th putting her just one away from tying her collegiate season high of 14 that was set last season with the Texans after transferring in from Middle Tennessee following a three-year stint in Murfreesboro Tennessee.
 
Wallace then walked to give the Texans two base runners. Trull then doubled to left field scoring the pair of Kelci Hill and Wallace making it 5-3 Tarleton State.
 
In the top of the fifth, ACU put up their first of two two-spots in the game as Catrin Hoffman tripled scoring Keliiholokai making it 5-4 to put the Wildcats just one run away from the third tie of the ballgame. Lista then doubled down the right field line scoring Hoffman and tying things at 5-5 to end the fifth inning.
 
ACU put up their second two-spot of the game in the top half of the sixth as White singled to right center scoring Elizabeth Schaefer and Bennett giving the Wildcats the 7-5 lead heading into the final inning and a half.
 
Facing a two-run deficit in the sixth, Trull singled up the middle scoring Kelci Hill making it just a one run game.
 
Abilene Christian went three up three down in the top of the seventh giving the Texans a chance to walk it off. Germain got on with a lead-off walk putting the tying run on and the go-ahead run at the plate. Kalyn Hill lined out to the shortstop that saved what could have possibly been a run for the Texans. Makayla Cox then pinch hit for Ashlee LaRue and flew out to left field pinning the Texans backs against the wall now down to their final out and down by one.
 
Brady Rowland reached base with a five-pitch walk now putting the tying run in scoring position. Avery Songer went in to pinch run for Brady Rowland adding some speed on the base paths. Dickerson came to the plate with a chance to tie it or walk it off. With the count at 2-2, Dickerson fouled one off to keep the Texans hopes alive. The anticipation was short lived as she struck out on the following pitch ending any chance of extra innings or a walk-off.
 
The Wildcats won Game 2 splitting the lone conference midweek doubleheader for either team this season and tied things back up at 36-36 for the all-time record between the two teams.
 
Kendall Daniel got the start in the circle for the Texans and went 2.1 IP giving up three runs on four hits and walking a pair. Kynlee Marquez followed Daniel going a third of an inning longer pitching 2.2 innings giving up two runs on four hits, struck out two and walked one. Dunbar (2-4)made her second appearance of the day for the Texans and took the loss as she went 1.0 inning giving up two runs on four hits and walking one. After earning her fourth win of the season and going 5.1 IP in Game 1, Rehmeier threw the final inning for the Texans giving up no runs on no hits as she struck out one.
 
For the Wildcats, Ella Beeman (3-4) got the start and collected her third win of the season going 5.2 IP giving up six runs (five earned) on nine hits, striking out four and walking four. Russo entered the circle for the second time on the day earning her first save of the season giving up no runs on no hits while striking out one and walking two.
 
The Texans will be back in action this Friday-Saturday on the west coast as they take on California Baptist in a three-game series in Riverside, California. The first two games are scheduled for Friday with first pitch at 6 p.m. CT and 8:30 p.m. CT. The final matchup will come on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT. Tarleton State is 3-4 vs. the Lancers of CBU with six of the seven matchups happening in Stephenville. This will mark the first trip to CBU for the Texans as the seventh matchup occurred in Phoenix last season as part of the 2023 WAC Softball Tournament.
 
All three games are currently scheduled to air live on ESPN+ as well as live stats will be available for all three contests.
 
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