ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Tarleton State Softball opened play at the UNM Invitational in dominant fashion on Friday, earning a pair of victories at the Lobo Softball Field. The Texans defeated Houston Christian 6-4 in the morning before taking down host New Mexico 6-3 in the nightcap to improve to 13-5 overall and 2-0 on the weekend. 

Tarleton State 6, Houston Christian 4 

After a scoreless first inning, the Texans struck first in the top of the second. Madison Runyan led off with a single before Isabella Bojkovic doubled to left field to put the two in scoring position. Mariah Debose brought home the first run on a fielder's choice, and Hayden Fox followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0. After a pitching change, pinch runner Alyson Higginbotham swiped second and later scored when Mikayla Wilson grounded out to shortstop to extend the lead to 3-0. 

Houston Christian answered in the bottom of the second with one run and followed up in the bottom of the third, scoring three runs to take a 4-3 advantage. 

Tarleton State responded in the fifth. Macie Vickers and Jaelynn Duke worked back-to-back walks, and after a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, Runyan delivered with a two-RBI single up the middle to regain the lead at 5-4. 

The Texans added insurance in the sixth. Debose singled and Fox followed with another base hit. Wilson and Vickers each reached on a fielder's choice before Duke laced an RBI single to left field to push the lead to 6-4. 

In the circle, Alex Aguilar earned the win with 3.0 shutout innings in relief, allowing three hits while striking out two. Shelby Schultz closed the door with 2.0 scoreless innings to earn the save. 

Runyan led the offense with three hits and two RBI, while Duke collected two hits and drove in a run. Debose added two hits and two stolen bases as part of a 12-hit team effort. 

Tarleton State 6, New Mexico 3 

New Mexico plated the first run of the nightcap in the bottom of the first, but the Texans answered in a big way in the fourth inning. 

Addison Wittram was hit by a pitch to start the frame before Katherine Brunner singled to left field, advancing Wittram to second. After a sacrifice bunt moved both runners, Fox reached on an error that allowed the two to score and give Tarleton State a 2-1 lead. Wilson followed with a single, and Vickers drove in another with a base hit to right. Duke capped the four-run inning with an RBI single to make it 4-1. 

The Lobos cut into the lead with a run in the fifth, but Tarleton State added two key insurance runs in the seventh. Vickers opened the inning with a single and pinch runner Riley McDaniel later scored on an RBI single by Wittram. Bojkovic followed with a double down the left field line to bring home another run and extend the advantage to 6-2. 

New Mexico managed one more run in the bottom of the seventh, but Duke finished the game in the circle to secure the win. 

Abigail Dowell started and went 3.0 innings, allowing one run, before Duke tossed 4.0 innings in relief to earn the victory. Duke scattered two hits and struck out two while limiting the Lobos to one earned run. 

Vickers paced the Texans with three hits and an RBI, while Duke added three hits and an RBI in addition to her work in the circle. Wittram finished with two hits and an RBI as the Texans totaled 11 hits in the win. 

Tarleton State will continue play at the UNM Invitational on Saturday with one game against UTEP at 1:30 p.m. CT, followed by a rematch with New Mexico at 6:30 p.m. CT.