AUSTIN, Texas – Tarleton State shocked the No. 2 team in the nation on Tuesday, handing the Texas Longhorns just their second loss of the season with a 6-1 win in Austin, Texas.
 
Tarleton State (13-7) earned its best win in program history, its third win over a Power Four conference team ever, its second this season alone. Texas (18-2) entered the day tied with USC with the tied-fewest losses in the nation at one, but the Texans shut out the Longhorns over the final eight innings to earn the upset bid.
 
The Texans allowed just one run and two hits on the game to a Texas team who entered the night with the 12th best scoring mark across all of NCAA Division I (9.9 runs per game) and the 15th best batting average (.335). Meanwhile, the Texan offense powered through six runs on eight hits against a Texas pitching staff that ranked No. 3 in the nation in ERA (2.54), No. 4 in WHIP (1.04), and No. 4 in hits allowed per nine innings (6.1).
 
"I'm proud of the fight and grit this group of young men showed tonight," head coach Fuller Smith said. "They competed, made pitches, made plays, and got the bigtime hits when we needed. It was a total team win."
 
Tarleton State's two of three Power Four victories in program history have come in a two-week span, following the Texans' 6-5 win over Baylor at home on March 3. These wins come after Tarleton State's narrow 3-1 loss against No. 7 ranked Arkansas in the fourth game of the season at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Feb. 16. Texas, ranked No. 2 in the country, represents the highest ranked opponent Tarleton State has faced in program history. This midweek matchup was the fifth all-time meeting between Tarleton State and Texas, the first in nearly 30 years. The Longhorns were 4-0 all-time against the Texans, all games in Austin, with all previous games played between 1994-97.
 
The Texans remain perfect in true road games this year, improving to 5-0, with the win at No. 2 Texas and a four-game sweep at New Mexico March 6-8.
 
During that sweep, Tarleton State's pitching staff also allowed just a two-hit outing on the day. On Tuesday, the Texans used five to get the job done. Brendon Carter got the start, allowing a run on a hit and a walk with a strikeout in the first inning. Ethan Jaques took the next three innings and earned the victory, improving to 3-0 on the year, allowing no runs on no hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Jackson Elizondo took the fifth, allowing no runs on no hits, a strikeout and two walks. Anthony Treto handled three innings, allowing no runs on no hits, five strikeouts and three walks. Tai Phetluangsy closed things out, per usual, allowing no runs on one hit with a strikeout and a walk.
 
Texas earned its lone run on the second at-bat in the bottom half of the first, a solo home run by Carson Tinney. That was the Longhorns' only hit until the ninth inning, with Tarleton State seeing 34 straight Longhorn batters fail to get a hit. With two outs in the ninth inning, the Longhorns got a single for their second hit, but Phetluangsy followed with the final out right after.
 
Tarleton State did most of its damage in the fourth inning, turning a one-run deficit into a three-run lead with a four-run frame. Rayner Heinrich was plunked to start the inning, then Slade McCloud singled. Carson Lorch followed with a walk to load the bases with nobody out. Cage McCloud then hit an RBI single to right field to tie the game, scoring Heinrich. Brady Englett then turned an 0-2 count into an RBI walk to give the Texans a 2-1 lead. Ike Shirey later singled through the left side for a two RBI hit to boost the Texans ahead 4-1.
 
Tarleton State added a run in the seventh, started by a Heinrich walk with nobody aboard and two outs. The left fielder then stole second, and Slade McCloud immediately rewarded him with an RBI single through the right side to make it 5-1 Purple and White.
 
In the ninth, Heinrich again started a two-out nobody-on scoring chance with a single. He then scored on a deep fly to left that was dropped by the outfielder, making it 6-1 Texans, the final.
 
Heinrich extended his hitting streak to 15 games, batting 1-for-2 with a walk, scoring three runs. Slade McCloud and Lorch each had multi-hit outings, with Lorch going 2-for-3 with a pair of walks and a run, and Slade McCloud going 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run. Heinrich and Lorch each had a stolen base on the night, as well. Slade McCloud's hitting streak is now at 11 games.
 
Texas' Kade Bing took the loss in relief, dropping to 0-1 after allowing three earned runs on one hit, a walk and a hit by pitch, without recording an out.
 
Tarleton State will stay on the road and head to Nacogdoches to take on old rival Stephen F. Austin. It will be a three-game series between the Texans and 'Jacks, starting Friday at 6 p.m.