STEPHENVILLE, TX — Tarleton State picked up a pair of wins Saturday, sweeping a doubleheader against New Mexico with a 7–3 victory in the opener followed by a 15–10 win in the nightcap.
The Texans used timely hitting and strong pitching to take the first game. After two scoreless innings, Tarleton State broke through in the third when Brady Englett delivered an RBI double to right center, bringing home Braden Gostisha for a 1–0 lead.
Tarleton State added another run in the fourth inning after Slade McCloud tripled to left center and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Carson Lorch. The Texans extended their advantage in the sixth inning with three consecutive RBI hits from Rayner Heinrich, Lorch, and Cage McCloud to build a 5–0 lead.
Gostisha added insurance in the seventh inning with a two-run home run to deep left field, pushing the Texans ahead 7–0.
On the mound, Cort Lowry and Anthony Treto combined for a dominant performance. The duo held New Mexico hitless deep into the game, and the Texans were just two outs away from recording their first no-hitter in nearly 30 years before the Lobos finally broke through in the bottom of the seventh. New Mexico scored three runs in the inning, but Tarleton State held on to secure the 7–3 win.
The second game of the doubleheader turned into an offensive showdown, with the Texans' bats erupting for 15 runs.
Tarleton State answered New Mexico's early run in the second inning when Kendyl Johnson and Carson Lorch each delivered RBI singles to give the Texans a 2–1 lead. After the Lobos briefly regained the lead, Tarleton State erupted for five runs in the third inning. Sergio Guerra drove in a run with an RBI single, Gostisha added a sacrifice fly, and Raphael Smeenk highlighted the inning with a three-run home run.
The Texans continued to pile on throughout the middle innings. Smeenk added a sacrifice fly in the fifth, while Johnson and Lorch each collected additional RBI hits. Chris Ricard launched a solo home run in the sixth inning, and Smeenk later added his second home run of the game in the seventh to extend the lead.
New Mexico rallied late with four runs in the eighth inning to tighten the game, but Tarleton State responded in the ninth when Ricard delivered a two-run double to provide insurance. The Texans closed out the game to secure the 15–10 victory and complete the doubleheader sweep.
Tarleton State finished the day with strong offensive performances from Smeenk, Lorch, Johnson, and Ricard while the pitching staff recorded several key strikeouts across both games.
The Texans will continue the series Sunday afternoon at 1:00pm in Albuquerque, NM.
