LAS VEGAS – Texas State loaded the bases and scored two in the top of the seventh, but No. 25/rv BYU escaped with the 5-3 win as the Cougars' Arianna Paulson got Christiana McDowell to line out to third to end the game.  
 
Texas State (4-2) also loaded the bases in the fourth and fifth innings, but could not find the timely hit as Bull escaped both times without allowing a run across the plate. The Bobcats finished with seven hits, but were just 3-for-9 with runners on base.
 
BYU (4-2) scored two in the second, two in the third and one in the fourth on seven hits, including 7-for-12 in advancement opportunities. Ashley Thompson led the Cougars at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI.
 
Texas State's Jodi Paige Williams (2-1) suffered the loss, giving up all five Cougar runs on five hits in her 3.2 innings of work. Quincy Charleston pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless relief work, allowing two hits and striking out one.
 
BYU's McKenna Bull (4-0) picked up the win, pitching 6.2 innings. She struck out seven and allowed seven hits. Paulson came on and closed the game with two out in the seventh to earn her first save of the season.  
 
BYU scored first, plating two in the bottom of the first inning via an Ashley Thompson two-run home run. Lauren Bell reached on an error the batter prior and Thompson plated them both with her shot to right field. Williams induced two ground balls to shortstop to escape the inning without further damage.
 
The Cougars added two more runs in the second on Jenson's two-out double to left field that scored Brooke Vander Heide and Briielle Breland.
 
Texas State scored in the top of the third as Jaelyn Young drove in Kimberlin Naivar with an RBI single to left.
 
However, the Cougars quickly got the run back as Thompson hit her second homer of the game to lead off the bottom of third.
 
The Bobcats rallied to score two in the seventh as Corrina Liscano and Kennedy Cline were each walked home. Liscano reached on an error to lead off the inning and came around to score on a Bailee Carter RBI walk and Cline scored on Naivar's RBI base on balls.
 
UP NEXT
Texas State continues the DeMarini Desert Classic later today (Feb. 17) against Hawai'i at 4:30 p.m. (CT).
 
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