SAN MARCOS, Texas – Jaelyn Young hit a bases-loaded chopper back to the pitcher to drive home Bailee Carter for the winning run as Texas State defeated No. 17/18 Louisiana 2-1 in eight innings Saturday afternoon.
 
Carter roped a double to the right-field wall to lead off the eighth. Kimberlin Naivar sac bunted Carter to second, Christiana McDowell was hit by a pitch and Ariel Ortiz was walked on four straight pitches to load the bases. Young fell behind the count 0-2 before hitting a high chopper back to the circle for the game-winning RBI.
 
The win was not only the Bobcats' second victory over a top-25 opponent this week, but was the first victory over Louisiana in 10 tries dating back to a 14-13 triumph in March 2015. TXST improved to 31-10 on the season and 12-5 in Sun Belt play. The Ragin' Cajuns (32-6, 14-1 Sun Belt) had their win streak halted at 15 games and suffered their first league loss of the campaign.
 
Randi Rupp, who did not factor into the decision, started and went five complete with five strikeouts and allowed only two hits and an unearned run. Jodi Paige Williams (6-3) came on in relief in the sixth and pitched the final 3.0 innings to earn the win. The crafty senior allowed only two hits, while also notching a strikeout.
 
Louisiana's Alyssa Denham (13-2) suffered the loss, giving up both of the Bobcats' runs and four hits in her 7.1 innings.
 
Each team collected four hits with only the Ragin' Cajuns' Haley Hayden and TXST's Carter finishing with multi-hit performances. Hayden was 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Carter was 2-for-3 with a RBI and run scored.
 
Texas State took a 1-0 lead in the second on Carter's RBI single to left center. Corrina Liscano led off the inning being hit by a pitch and was sac bunted over to second by Kennedy Cline – her team-leading ninth sac bunt of the season. Two batters later Carter fisted a single to left center that scored Liscano from second for the early Bobcat advantage.
 
After not capitalizing on the Bobcats fielding error in the fourth, Louisiana made sure to take advantage of a misplay in the fifth. Kelli Martinez reached on the TXST error with one out and advanced to second on Kara Gremillion's walk. After DJ Sander flew out to center, Haley Hayden singled through the left side to plate Martinez and knot the score. Four pitches later Aleah Craighton hit a ball to right center that looked to be headed out of the park until McDowell tracked the ball down and brought it back over the wall for the third out.
 
The Ragin' Cajuns threatened in the top of the seventh, advancing a runner to third, but Williams escaped unscathed with a ground out to short. The next six batters went down in order, setting up the Bobcats' second walk-off win of the week.


 
UP NEXT
Texas State plays a pair of midweek games next week. The Bobcats travel to Lamar for a 3 p.m. first pitch on Tuesday, then return to Bobcat Softball Stadium for a 6 p.m. game against McNeese on Wednesday.
 
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For all of the latest news and information on Bobcat softball, visit TXSTATEBOBCATS.com. Fans can also follow the program on its social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/TXStateSoftball along on Twitter (@TXStateSoftball) and Instagram (@TXStateSoftball).
 
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