May 7, 2006

Box Score

NATCHITOCHES, La. - The Texas State women's softball team has brought to a close its 2006 season, falling to Texas-Arlington for the second time in as many days in an eight inning battle on championship day at the Southland Conference Tournament.

Texas State finished this year's tournament 2-2, defeating Northwestern State 3-1 and Nicholls State, 9-2. The Bobcats however, dropped two consecutive hard fought games to Texas-Arlington, 5-4 and 3-1(8) and were eliminated on Sunday.

Just as Texas-Arlington had done the previous day against Texas State, they jumped on the scoreboard in the first inning off a home run. The Lady Mavs got a two-out blast from first baseman Dee Jay Nelson to put them on top, 1-0.

The `Cats left a total of five base runners on base in the game, but none more costly than the three left on in the third inning. After a Ryan Kos one out single, Amy Krueger would reach base by way of a walk and Amy Hromadka reached on an error by the Lady Maverick third baseman.

Expectations were high with senior Kristin Gunter entering the batter's box, after Gunter's towering grand slam in the Bobcats nightcap against Nicholls State a night before gave Texas State the spark they needed to drop the Lady Colonels, 9-2.

But today wasn't Gunter's day, as the hurler for Texas-Arlington, Jill Garro was the star of the game and was solid in the circle all day. Garro picked up one of her 11 strikeouts on the day, getting Gunter to strike out swinging to end the Bobcat threat.

Texas State finally got the tying run around in the bottom of the sixth. Freshman Alex Newton singled to center field with two away in the inning to score Hromadka from second after a leadoff double.

The game would remain scoreless through the seventh and went into extra frames.

Texas-Arlington would deliver the game-ending blow in the top of the eighth, when a Jenna Fortune double to the right center field gap scored Snider and Jones to give the Lady Mavs the 3-1 win and knock Texas State out of the tournament.

Despite the way things ended for the Bobcats this season, they should be proud of their efforts and the way they continuously fought back the entire SLC Tournament and season.

The `Cats 18-5 mark in SLC play is the fifth best in school history, while the 34-win total is the seventh-best in the softball program.

Texas State will say goodbye to its three graduating seniors in Katie Ann Trahan, Gunter and Hromadka and will have to put their trust in the new faces next season and the returning Bobcats.