STEPHENVILLE, Texas – The HCU baseball team got out to a quick 4-1 lead and was up by four midway through the game but the host Tarleton State Texans scored seven unanswered runs over a three-inning span and defeated the Huskies, 8-5, on Saturday afternoon at the Tarleton State Baseball Complex.
The Huskies (9-9) wasted little time putting a run on the board as
Jeremy Rader drew a leadoff walk, moved up to second on a groundout and then advanced to third on a single from
Katcher Halligan.
Preston Curtis then brought Rader home on a fielder's choice ground ball to second base to stake HCU to an early 1-0 advantage.
Tarleton (12-6) answered with a run in the bottom of the first, however, with a two-out double off the bat of Rayner Heinrich bringing a run home
In the second, HCU built a lead with three runs on a pair of hits.
Luke Bard opened the inning by getting hit by a pitch followed by
Zach Munton doubling to left to give the Huskies two runners in scoring position. After a groundout,
Tyree Jackson lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to score Bard and move Munton over to third. Rader was then hit by a pitch, putting runners on the corners with two out.
Anthony Avalos lifted an 0-1 pitch down the right field line right into the sun with the ball falling and allowing him to reach second with both runners scoring to give the Huskies a 4-1 lead.
The Huskies added another run in the fifth thanks to a hit batter and three walks bringing in one more for a 5-1 HCU lead. The Texans got two back in the bottom of the fifth on a Kendyl Johnson home run to right centerfield.
Ike Shirey led off the sixth with a home run to pull Tarleton within one, 5-4, and chase HCU starter
Joshua Caravalho from the game. Brady Englett then singled off reliever
Jackson Kendall, stole second and scored on a Raphel Smeenk double with Smeenk moving up to third on a throwing error. Jake Tatom then brought Smeenk across the plate with a ground ball to first, putting the Texans ahead, 6-5.
Smeenk came up big for the hosts again in the seventh, sending a two-run homer over the right field wall to increase the Tarleton lead to 8-5.
Halligan had a 2-for-4 day at the plate, improving to .342 on the season. Rader reached twice despite not recording a hit and scored a pair of runs while Avalos' two RBI led the Huskies.
Caravalho went five innings, allowing four earned runs on six hits with three strikeouts and three walks while earning a no decision. Kendall was saddled with the loss, falling to 0-1 on the year, with two earned runs allowed in a third of an inning.
HCU and Tarleton will play the rubber game in the three-game series on Sunday, Mar. 15, at 12:00 p.m.
