SAN MARCOS, Texas – After coming back to tie the game in the bottom sixth and once again in the bottom half of the eighth, the Texas State softball team ultimately fell in the ninth by a score of 9-4 to Incarnate Word Wednesday evening.
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Ariel Ortiz,
Taylor Webb, and
Jaelyn Young all led the Bobcats with two hits apiece and two Bobcats drew walks. Overall, Texas State falls to 21-10 on the year and 7-4 at Bobcat Softball Stadium.
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The score remained tied at 0-0 through four innings before a three-run home run in the top of the fifth by Alex Alonzo put the Cardinals ahead of Texas State.
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The Bobcats answered, however, in the bottom of the third by piecing together four hits to score three runs. Back-to-back doubles by Ortiz and
Kendall Wiley got the Bobcat offense rolling to lead-off the inning. After a pitching change with no outs, Webb connected on a pitch to make it three-straight Bobcat hits to put runners on the corners with no outs and the score sitting at 3-1.
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A sacrifice bunt by
Lexi Fryar moved the runners to second and third for Young. Young then registered her second hit of the night to left to score Wiley. The third run of the Bobcat inning came from a fielder's choice play by
Bianca Prado.
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Six straight outs in the seventh inning by both teams sent the Bobcats and the Cardinals into extras. Tonight's game was the third game this season that Texas State has gone into extras. Until tonight, the Bobcats were 2-0 in extra inning affairs.
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With the international tiebreaker rule in effect, it took two batters for the Cardinals to take a 4-3 lead over Texas State with a single through the right side.
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In the bottom of the eighth with one out and Ortiz on third from a wild pitch, Webb registered her second hit of the game to tie the ball game up at four apiece.
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Another home run by the Cardinals' Alonzo in the top of the ninth inning broke open the gates to make it a 7-4 Incarnate Word lead. Back-to-back doubles mixed with a wild pitch sent two more Cardinals around to score and put the game all but out of reach for Texas State.
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Prado, the runner placed on second in the ninth, stayed there as the side was retired in order to end the game.
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Charleston was handed her third loss of the season in 4.0 innings of work.
Paige Williams started for the Bobcats and combined they struck out 10 batters and walked just two.
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Texas State will continue conference play this weekend starting on Friday against UL Monroe. First pitch Friday afternoon is scheduled for 2 p.m. The Bobcats and the Warhawks will play a doubleheader on Friday and a single game on Saturday. Live stats, live audio, and live video will be available at
www.txstatebobcats.com.
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