STEPHENVILLE, Texas (Interstat) — The Houston Christian Huskies erupted for nine runs in the first inning and then relied on that early outburst to withstand a late rally by the Tarleton State Texans, securing a 9-5 victory in nonconference baseball Sunday afternoon and evening at Tarleton Baseball Complex.

The win evened Houston Christian’s season record at 9-9, while Tarleton State fell to 12-6. The outcome split the brief two-game weekend series after the Texans won 8-5 on Saturday.

The game’s decisive moment came immediately, as the Huskies sent 13 batters to the plate in a marathon top of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Rader set the tone with a single, and after a bunt out and a walk loaded the bases, Hendricks delivered an RBI single for the game’s first run. The next batter, Walker, then launched a grand slam to right field, staking Houston Christian to a 5-0 lead before an out was recorded.

The Huskies were not done. After a hit batter and a walk, Laxton capped the historic inning with a three-run homer to right-center field, pushing the advantage to 9-0. Tarleton State starter Wendel was chased without recording an out, charged with all nine runs.

The Texans began to chip away in the bottom half when left fielder Rayner Heinrich answered with a solo home run. Heinrich later tripled in the third and scored on a sacrifice fly by McCloud to make it 9-2.

From there, the story became the effectiveness of the Tarleton State bullpen. Following the disastrous first, six Texans relievers combined to throw nine scoreless innings, allowing just one hit. Jackson Elizondo, Andrew Hardin, Ben Bosse, Tai Phetluangsy, Jack Lovin and Ashton Bassett shut down the Huskies’ offense entirely, striking out five and walking two.

Their work kept the game within reach and allowed for a dramatic final frame. Trailing 9-2 entering the bottom of the ninth, the Texans mounted a final charge. Pinch-hitter Ricard walked and scored on a double by Raphael Smeenk. Sergio Guerra followed with another run-scoring double, and Jake Tatom delivered an RBI single to cut the deficit to 9-5. Tatom then stole second to bring the tying run to the on-deck circle, but Johnson flied out to center to end the game.

Heinrich finished 2 for 4 with his home run for the Texans. Guerra went 2 for 3 with an RBI, while Smeenk and Tatom each drove in a run. For Houston Christian, Walker’s grand slam and Laxton’s three-run homer provided all the necessary offense.

The victory defied pregame projections from Interstat, whose game simulator had predicted an 8-7 Houston Christian win, while its ELO system gave Tarleton State a 61.3% probability of victory.

Houston Christian next hosts Texas-San Antonio on Tuesday. Tarleton State travels to face Texas on Tuesday.