CANYON, TEXAS – Lone Star Conference regular season champion Tarleton State opened the 2013 Lone Star Conference baseball championship Friday afternoon with a 4-1 win over Incarnate Word at Wilder Park.  Tarleton State improved to 33-14-1 on the year, while Incarnate Word fell to 26-25. (Box Score)

Strong pitching performances from both teams, but TSU's Matt Buckmaster (9-2) tossed a complete game and with a career-high 12 strikeouts in the win.  He threw 131 pitches.  UIW's Alexis Garza (6-2) went seven innings, allowing six hits, four earned runs, two walks and six strikeouts. 

The Texans scored all of their runs in the bottom of the first inning.  Nico Moran began the game with a single through the right side, followed by a bunt single and a fielder's choice sacrifice bunt scoring the first run and then a two RBI triple from Colton Boothe for a 3-0 lead.   A two out, single up the middle by Luke Slentz plated the fourth run of the frame as all nine batters came to the plate in the inning.

UIW got on the board in the top of the third as Zac Russell went deep to right center for his team-leading fifth round-tripper of the season to begin the frame.

TSU had a chance to increase the lead in the sixth as it had runners at second and third helped out by the second UIW miscue, but was unable to get anyone home.  The Cardinals equally had a good chance in the seventh as they put two on with nobody out, but a bunt foul out to the catcher and two foul outs ended the threat.

The Cardinals began the ninth with a single to left from pinch-hitter Jonathan Armijo, but a liner to second and back-to-back strikeouts by Buckmaster ended the game.

For the Texans, they tallied six hits led by a 2 for 4 performance from Rustin Thomas as he scored a run, while Colton Boothe went 1 for 3 with a triple and two RBI.  UIW was led by Jordan Littlefield who was 3 for 4.

The Texans play the loser of Angelo State vs. West Texas A&M Saturday at 3:30 p.m.  UIW plays the loser of Texas A&M-Kingsville vs. Abilene Christian Saturday at 12 p.m.


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