STEPHENVILLE, Texas -- UT Tyler's season-opening 16-game winning streak in its first season as a Division II provisional member was halted Friday by No. 21-ranked Tarleton State, which posted 3-0 and 10-6 wins over the No. 2-ranked Patriots in a Lone Star Conference doubleheader.
Tarleton's Game 1 starter Jordan Withrow tossed a complete-game no-hitter to halt the UT Tyler winning streak, but the Patriots came from behind to tie the second game at 6-6 in the fifth inning before Tarleton pulled away with a four-run sixth. Withrow also earned the Game 2 win with 2.2 innings of scoreless relief.
Shae Harris hit a game-tying two-run single off Withrow with two outs in the top of the fifth inning, but Tarleton responded by scoring four in the bottom of the sixth to secure the sweep.
After the doubleheader sweep, UT Tyler fell to 16-2 overall and 4-2 in conference play this season. Tarleton improved to 19-4 overall and seized the lead in the LSC standings with a perfect 6-0 conference record.
How It Happened (Game 1): Tarleton starter Jordan Withrow retired 12 of the first 13 UT Tyler hitters, allowing the Texans to take a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the second inning. Kylie Brown was hit by pitch to lead off the fifth inning, and pinch-runner Grace Davis advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, but Withrow notched one of her strikeouts for the second out and got the final out of the frame on a fly out to right field.
An error in the bottom of the fifth inning allowed Tarleton to plate another unearned run for a 3-0 lead. In the top of the seventh, Serena Saldivar drew a leadoff walk, her second walk of the game, and a two-out error kept the Patriots alive and brought the potential tying run to the plate. However, Withrow finished off the game with a strikeout for her third career no-hitter.
How It Happened (Game 2): Mak Dominguez led off the second game with a double down the left-field line, and she scored on an Ashley Perez single up the middle to give UT Tyler an early 1-0 lead. Tarleton answered in the bottom of the first, taking a 2-1 lead on Destiny Crumpley's two-run home run to left field.
The Texans pushed two more runs across in the bottom of the third, but Dominguez answered with a two-out, two-run double in the top of the fourth to cut the lead to 4-3. Crumpley added an RBI single in a two-run fourth inning for Tarleton, making it a three-run margin again at 6-3.
The Patriots came back to tie the game in the fifth, as Saldivar and Perez drew consecutive walks to lead off the inning. Emily Jones laid down a bunt single to load the bases, and Amanda Marek was hit by pitch to score a run and cut the lead to 6-4. After the lead runner was forced out at home for the first out on a fielder's choice, Withrow returned to the circle for the Texans and registered the second out of the inning on a strikeout. However, Shae Harris delivered a game-tying two-run single off Withrow, tying the game at 6-6.
In the bottom of the sixth, Tarleton scored four times as they sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning. The Texans drew five walks in the inning along with a pair of hits, taking a 10-6 lead into the seventh inning. Withrow struck out two in the seventh, including the final out of the game as she claimed another win after her opening-game no-hitter.
Inside The Box Score: Mak Dominguez went 2-for-4 in Game 2 to lead the Patriots' offense… Serena Saldivar drew four walks in her six plate appearances, and she has reached safely (hit or walk) in 17 of 18 games this season… Tarleton pitcher Jordan Withrow notched 14 strikeouts on the day, picking up 9 in the opening-game no-hitter plus 5 more in her 2.2-inning relief appearance in Game 2.
What's Next: UT Tyler continues its first Lone Star Conference road trip with a Sunday, March 8 visit to Midwestern State.
