STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Tarleton State (16-28, 4-13 WAC) dropped the final game of the three-games series Saturday to the Western Athletic Conference leaders, Grand Canyon.
 
The Lopes (36-9, 15-2 WAC) swept the series in Stephenville, taking the lone game on Saturday in five innings 11-3.
 
After falling behind 2-0 early, Tarleton State responded with a pair in the second to tie the game. GCU answered right back with two runs in the third, then put the game out of reach with seven runs in the fourth to go up by nine. Tarleton got one back in the fourth but couldn't muster enough to avoid the run-rule.
 
Kynlee Marquez (2-7) took the loss, allowing seven earned runs on six hits and three walks in 3.1 IP. Alexa Rehmeier replaced her in the fourth and allowed four earned runs on two hits and two walks. Kendall Daniel also made an appearance, allowing two hits over 1.2 IP.
 
GCU's Ariel Thompson (7-1) went the distance, allowing three earned runs on eight hits.
 
There were no strikeouts from either team the entirety of the contest. GCU had 10 hits to Tarleton's eight, and there was a lone error committed by the Texans. GCU drew five walks and didn't walk a Texan.
 
In the first inning, Grand Canyon had back-to-back walks, but Tarleton was able to exit nearly unscathed by mowing a Lope on a rundown. GCU small-balled their way to a run in the second to go up 2-0.
 
Kayla Wallace started off the second for Tarleton by hitting a hard-liner down the first base line. Kalyn Hill tied the game with a two-run home run, her second of the year, to tie the game.  
 
GCU opened the third with a double and a triple. Both runs came across to put the Lopes ahead 4-2. In the fourth, Grand Canyon had six hits, including two home runs, plus three walks to score seven runs.
 
Brady Rowland hit a solo shot in the fourth, her fourth home run of the season. In the fifth, Austin Germain doubled and Tristyn Trull advanced her to third with a single, but Germain was later thrown out at home and Wallace grounded out to end the game.
 
Germain went 2-for-3 on the day. Hill was 1-for-2 with two RBI. Trull, Wallace, Jordan Dickerson, Ashlee LaRue and Rowland each added a hit, with Rowland owning an RBI.
 
The Texans are on a five-game slide, which they'll look to snap on Tuesday. They host a doubleheader against Texas Southern at the Tarleton Softball Complex that starts at 1 p.m.