STEPHENVILLE, Texas  – In a doubleheader that was delayed four hours due to rain, the No. 21 West Texas A&M baseball team dropped the opener 2-0 at Tarleton State and plated five runs over the final two innings for a 6-4 win in the nightcap.  With the split, WT improved to 26-11 overall and 15-8 in Lone Star Conference play, while Tarleton State finished the series 15-21 overall and 9-14 in conference play. 

WT remains tied for second following this weekend's games as Angelo State moved a game ahead in the league standings with a sweep of Eastern New Mexico.  The Buffs are tied with Texas A&M-Kingsville as Cameron took two-of-three from TAMUK this weekend and sits four games back of the Buffs and Javelinas.  Cameron comes to WT for a series this coming week at Wilder Park with a single game Friday, followed by a doubleheader Saturday.  The Buffs won three-of-four in Lawton earlier this season.

Tarleton State 2, #21 West Texas A&M 0 (Game 1)

In the opener, the Buffs got the first two outs in the bottom of the second, but a double from Zach Fleet put the Texans in business as Dylan Kuhn singled home Fleet for a 1-0 lead.  In the top of the frame, the Buffs loaded the bases with one out on a hit batsman, single and a walk, but were unable to bring anyone home.  The run WT senior starter Austin Moore allowed was just his seventh run and third earned run in conference play allowed as he had a 0.50 ERA to that point during the conference portion of the season.

Moore and TSU starter Trevor Renfro combined for 11 strikeouts each through 3½ innings and four hits allowed.  Renfro got the win in the previous meeting between the Buffs and Texans in Canyon, which was the lone win for Tarleton State in the series on Mar. 5 in the first game of a doubleheader.  He went six innings, allowing eight hits, four earned runs, walking three and fanning eight.  Moore won 7-0 in the nightcap that day as he went the distance fanning 12 on two hits with no walks in a shutout.

A walk began the top of the fifth for the Buffs for junior Roberto Carrasco, followed by a sacrifice bunt from redshirt freshman Blake Weaver moving Carrasco to second.  WT left Carrasco stranded at second as it was 0 of 5 in two out hitting, 0 of 4 with runners in position and 1 of 7 with runners on base through five at bats.  The Buffs left five stranded through five innings.

Kuhn reached on a four pitch walk and moved to second on a wild pitch to begin the bottom of the fifth for the Texans.  Forrest Perron reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on an error, plating Kuhn for a 2-0 lead.   A wild pitch moved Perron to third with one out and a walk put runners at the corners.  Moore got out of the jam as Hunter Seales grounded into a double play to end the inning keeping the deficit at 2-0. 

The Buffs began the top of the sixth with a double to left from junior Troy LaBrie, but Renfro kept the Buffs off the board with two more strikeouts and a pop out to leave six stranded for WT. 

Landon Thompson began the bottom of the frame with a single to center for just third hit allowed by Moore in the game.  Landon Merka moved Thompson to second with a sacrifice bunt for one out in the inning.  A fly out advanced Thompson to third with two out and Moore got out of the inning with a ground out to first.

Down to their final at bat, junior John Baiada pinch hit for redshirt freshman Christian Loya as Renfro looked to go the distance in the game.  Renfro got his tenth strikeout of the game on 3-2 looking pitch for the first out.  It was Renfro's second game of ten or more strikeouts this season (11 vs. Emporia State, 2/20).  He retired the Buffs in order for the win.

Renfro went all seven innings, allowing three hits for the shutout, while walking two and fanning ten as he improved to 5-3.  Moore fell to 7-2 on the year in six innings of work, allowing three hits, two runs – one earned, walked four and fanned eight.  Moore's streak of seven-straight wins was snapped, too.

The loss was just the second time the Buffs had been shutout this season (at #22 Texas A&M-Kingsville, 4/1). 

#21 West Texas A&M 6, Tarleton State 4 (Game 2)

The Buffs got a single to left from senior Mason Shiflett in the top of the first, who had his nine-game hitting streak and 12-game reaching base streak snapped in the opener.  The Buffs were unable to bring Shiflett around to score.

In the bottom of the frame, Perron had a leadoff single to center and Alec Humphreys grounded into a double play, but two out hits and runs have been an issue for the Buffs as of late as three walks and a hit batsman plated a run.  Junior Justin McAllister relieved senior starter Luke Wiechec and struck out McMahon on a 3-2 count leaving the bases full.  McAllister had his shortest start of the season going just 0.2 innings with three walks, one hit and one earned run allowed.

Kuhn belted a double to right in the bottom of the second with one out.  Perron grounded out to short moving Kuhn to third.  Humphreys tripled down the right field line for a RBI and a 2-0 lead.  He was left stranded at third as McAllister fanned Jake Hasbrouck for the third out. 

WT got on the board in the fourth as Shiflett began the frame with a single and a sacrifice bunt moved him to second.  An error scored Shiflett for a 2-1 score with one out.  Following the second out, Loya singled to left for two on, but the Buffs were unable to get any more runs.

Tarleton State scored again in the bottom of the seventh as Humphreys was hit by the McAllister offering followed by two outs.  Thompson singled to left scoring Humphreys, but was gunned down at second for a 3-1 score and the third out.

Weaver began the eighth with a bunt single.  Senior Matt Cole, who ended a 0 for 9 slump in the series with a double in the third, battled back from a 0-2 count for a walk for two on with nobody out.  Senior Nick Chapman reached on an error, advancing to second, as Weaver scored for a 3-2 deficit with runners at second and third.  Hunter Houston relieved starter Blain Bagley following the score.  Shiflett, who had three singles in the game, drew a four pitch walk to lead the bases for a potential out at any bag.  Baiada tied the game with a RBI sacrifice fly to right plating Cole for a 3-3 score and runners at the corners.   A wild pitch moved Shiflett to second.  LaBrie reached on the second miscue by the Texans in the inning plating Chapman for a 4-3 WT lead.  Houston got a fielder's choice for the second out as Shiflett was out at home and Houston got a strikeout to end the inning.

WT senior closer Kyle Tinius relieved McAllister in the bottom of the eighth as McAllister went 6.1 innings, allowing eight hits, two earned runs, no walks and he fanned five.   Tinius retired the Texans in order in the eighth.

A single and a sacrifice bunt put the insurance run at second for the Buffs with one out in the top of the ninth for the top of the order.  Cole drew his second straight walk for two on.  On a 2-2 count, Chapman came up with his first hit of the game with a RBI single to left for a 5-3 lead.  A wild pitch moved both runs 90 feet to second and third.  Shiflett grounded out to short plating Cole for a 6-3 lead as the Texans had one last at bat.

Pinch hitter Garret Kizer began the bottom of the ninth with a single to right.  Tinius fanned Perron for the first out and fanned Humphreys for the second out.  Down to the final out, Hasbrouck walked bringing the tying run to the plate in Seales.  Both Hasbrouck and Kizer advanced 90 feet on a wild pitch.  Seales reached on the second error of the inning pulling TSU within 6-4 with runners at the corners.  Tinius got Thompson down 1-2 and blew him away swinging for his league-best ninth save of the season and second of the series.

For the nightcap, McAllister (4-2) earned the win, while Bagley (1-2) took the loss as he went seven innings, allowing six hits, four runs – two earned, walked one and fanned nine.  Shiflett went 3 for 4 with a run scored and a RBI to lead the Buffs.   Thompson was 2 for 4 with a RBI to pace the Texans.

The Buffs dip out of conference play for a rematch with Lubbock Christian Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Wilder Park.  LCU won in Lubbock earlier this season 13-3.  The game Tuesday is enormous in terms of NCAA postseason implications as the Chaps are 25-10 and 11-4 in Heartland Conference play as they are tied with St. Edward's (who WT beat earlier this season) for the league lead. 

WT then plays at home versus Cameron next Friday and Saturday at Wilder Park.  The series is scheduled for a single game Friday at 6:30 p.m. followed by a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m.  WT has a 3-1 lead in the series to this point this season.  Come out to Wilder Park for four huge games this coming week.