RUSTON, La. – The Texas State softball team is off to the best start in school history after earning a pair of victories over Abilene Christian and Belmont Saturday afternoon. The 'Cats defeated the Wildcats for the third time this season by a score of 2-0 before coming from behind to defeat Belmont by a score of 3-2. Overall, Texas State is 9-1 this season.
 
Sophomore shortstop Ariel Ortiz continued to lead the Bobcats offensively as she finished the day going 5-for-7 including the go-ahead hit in the top of the seventh to put the Bobcats ahead of Belmont.
 
Game 1 – Abilene Christian
The two runs in the bottom of the first for Texas State proved to be the only runs scored throughout the remainder of the game. Kelli Baker led the game off by getting hit by a pitch and she ultimately scored when Corrina Liscano drew a walk with the bases loaded. Three of the first four batters for Texas State got on base by either a walk or a hit by pitch and Ortiz earned a hit to load the bases for Liscano.
 
A wild pitch three batters later resulted in the second run of the day for Texas State.
 
The Bobcats recorded hits in the third, fourth, and fifth innings, but struggled to get runners home for the rest of the contest.
 
Ortiz finished the game going a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate. Sara Rupp earned her first hit of the season in the bottom of the fourth inning to register the only other Bobcat hit of the game.
 
Randi Rupp earned her sixth victory of the season after pitching the complete game shutout. She struck out nine batters while allowing just two hits and no walks.
 
Game 2 – Belmont
Much like she has throughout the first nine games of the year, Baker reached base to lead off the top of the first inning for Texas State. She would come around to score when Ortiz tallied her fourth hit of the day, a double to right center, to make it 1-0 Bobcats.
 
Four scoreless innings passed for both teams before Belmont made a move in the bottom of the sixth. A walk to lead-off the inning by the Bruins resulted in the first run of the day after Belmont hit a double to right center. Another double just two batters later scored the second run to give Belmont a 2-1 lead over the Bobcats.
 
Kimberlin Naivar led off the top of the seventh inning with a single to left field and came around to score on a pinch hit double to left field by Taylor Webb two batters later. A drawn walk by Baker on the next at bat put runners on first and second for Ortiz with two outs. Ortiz proceed to notch her fifth hit of the day, second of the game, to score Webb and to put Texas State up 3-2.
 
Three up, three down in the bottom of the seventh inning by Belmont gave Texas State its ninth victory of the season.
 
Rupp came in relief for Paige Williams to earn the win and improve to 7-1 on the year. Williams allowed six hits and two earned runs with one strikeout. Rupp struck out three in two innings of work for Texas State.
 
Who Stood Out
Ariel Ortiz went 5-for-7 from the plate with two RBIs, a double, six total bases, and a .857 slugging percentage … she also was flawless on defense with five putouts and six assists … Randi Rupp earned two victories in 9.0 innings pitched with 12 strikeouts, no walks, and just three hits surrendered.
 
Up Next:
Texas State will conclude the Louisiana Tech Invitational tomorrow afternoon with a 12 p.m. game against Louisiana Tech. Live stats and live video will be available at www.txstatebobcats.com.