PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Texas State softball team picked up a split Friday afternoon at the Grand Canyon Invitational in Phoenix, Ariz. The Bobcats fell in game one of the day to Northern Illinois by a score of 7-3 before bouncing back and earning an 8-0 shutout over Montana in game two.
 
Texas State moves to 10-3 on the year after the split and junior pitcher Paige Williams improves to 3-0 overall after earning the victory against Montana in five innings pitched.
 
Game One – Northern Illinois
A home run in the bottom of the second inning by Kimberlin Naivar gave Texas State a 1-0 lead over Northern Illinois to begin the Grand Canyon Invitational. Naivar's home run was her second this season and it was the first hit of the day for Texas State.
 
After a scoreless third, Texas State put together a hit by pitch, a sacrifice bunt, and a single to center to put runners on the corners with two outs. The 'Cats were unable to capitalize with runners on base and went to the bottom half of the fourth leading 1-0.
 
Northern Illinois answered, however, with a solo shot of its own in the bottom of the fourth inning. It was then in the fifth that gates opened for the Huskies as they hit another home run, a three-run shot, to go up 4-1 over the Bobcats.
 
Texas State strung together three straight singles to start the top of the sixth to cut the Northern Illinois lead back down to one, 4-3. A ground out for the first out of the inning halted the 'Cats rally as the final three batters of the inning were retired with no additional runs scored.
 
Three more runs in the bottom half of the sixth by Northern Illinois made it a 7-3 ball game. The Bobcats went three up, three down in the top of the seventh to drop just their third game of the 2016 season.
 
Randi Rupp was handed the loss after pitching in 4.1 innings while allowing two earned runs. She struck out six for Texas State. Naivar finished the game going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Taylor Webb registered the other two RBIs for Texas State as she went 1-for-2 in the game.
 
Game Two – Montana
With Quincy Charleston standing on first after a walk, junior Corrina Liscano hit her team-leading third home run of the season to take an early 2-0 lead over Montana.
 
The Bobcats were held scoreless in the second and third innings before scoring six in the final two innings of the game.
 
With one out in the fourth, Naivar reached first on an error by the Montana pitcher. A single to center by Kendall Wiley moved Naivar over to second and the two promptly moved to second and third on a pair of stolen bases. A walk to Jaelyn Young loaded the bases with one out. A fielder's choice play on the next at bat got the second out of the inning at home, but a single by Kelli Baker scored two to put Texas State up 4-0 on the next at bat.
 
A pair of wild pitches later in the fourth scored the third run of the inning to give Texas State a 5-0 advantage.
 
A double to centerfield in the top of the fifth inning by Wiley with the bases loaded added two more to the Texas State lead. The Bobcats ultimately scored one more in the latter part of the inning with a bases loaded walk by Baker.
 
Williams allowed just five hits in the game and just one base runner got beyond second for Montana. She finished the day with three strikeouts while allowing just one walk. Liscano and Wiley finished the game with a pair of hits each and Baker led the team with three RBIs.
 
Liscano finished day one of the Grand Canyon Invitational going 3-for-5 with a home run, a pair of RBIs and one hit by pitch. Webb, Naivar, and Wiley were the other three Bobcats with at least two hits for Texas State.
 
Final Details
The Bobcats will continue play at the Grand Canyon Invitational Saturday with a pair of games against Montana and Grand Canyon. First pitch against Montana is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. CT. Updates on the game can be found on twitter at @TxStateSoftball.