RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Tarleton State Softball played a pair of close contests in Riverside on Friday night, but was on the wrong side of both in the conference games.
 
The Texans (15-22, 3-7 WAC) lost by a combined five runs across the doubleheader, falling in the first game 6-3 followed by a 4-2 final. The Lancers (19-18, 6-3 WAC) improved to 17-10 at home at John C. Funk Stadium this season.
 
California Baptist 6, Tarleton State 3
 
The Texans struck first in the first game and maintained a 1-0 lead until the fifth inning. CBU plated one to tie it up, but Tarleton State responded with a pair in the sixth to take a 3-1 lead. The Lancers exploded for five runs in the bottom half to steal a victory.
 
Tarleton's Alexa Rehmeier (4-5) allowed no runs on just three hits through the first four innings before ultimately allowing six runs (five earned) on 10 hits and a walk in 5.1 IP. She had five strikeouts. Kendall Daniel relieved her in the sixth.
 
CBU's Presley Hosick went the distance, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks, striking out five.
 
Kelci Hill started the game with a hit, then came across later in the inning on a Katy Schaefer groundout.
 
There was little offensive action from there until the bottom of the fifth. Bobbiann Pratt doubled with one out, and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Maya Avila to tie up the game after five.
 
In the sixth, the Texans responded with two runs. Tristyn Trull doubled to open things, and eventually scored on an Austin Germain sacrifice fly. Kalyn Hill later had an RBI groundout to score Hannah Reed, making it 3-1 Texans in the middle of the sixth.
 
The Lancers dropped five runs in the bottom half. Kalena Burns led off with a solo shot. Sydney Soto later bunt singled in the tying run, and Pratt followed with a two-RBI double. The Lancers added another to win 6-3.
 
The Texans had four hits in the game, two by Jordan Dickerson.
 
California Baptist 4, Tarleton State 2
 
In the nightcap, the Lancers held Tarleton's offense at bay, allowing just two runs on five hits.
 
CBU struck first in the opening inning on a Burns RBI single. The Texans answered right back in the second, using a Germain leadoff triple to tie the game up, as she later scored on a wild pitch. CBU took the lead right back in the bottom half with back-to-back singles to open things, with both scoring on a Pratt single to make it 3-1.
 
The Texans cut the deficit in half in the fifth inning on a Kelci Hill fielder's choice that scored Reed, who pinch ran for Brady Rowland. Rowland had reached on a single.
 
The Lancers added an insurance run in the sixth and sat down Tarleton in order in the seventh for the victory.
 
Kynlee Marquez (2-5) covered six innings, allowing four earned runs on 11 hits, with three strikeouts. CBU's Morgan McConnell (6-9) allowed two earned runs on five hits, with three strikeouts.
 
The Texans will look to salvage the series with the third and final game at California Baptist on Saturday. Due to impending questionable weather, the game has been pushed back two hours for an 8 p.m. CT start.