SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State softball team (1-0) overcame lackluster offense to topple Sam Houston State (0-1), 3-0, on Thursday night at Bobcat Stadium to open the 2018 campaign at the Bobcat Classic.

Senior pitcher Randi Rupp was nearly flawless in her 2018 debut, spinning career shutout no. 34. She moves into a tie with Jessica Chase (1999-02) for the second most career shutouts in a Bobcat uniform. She allowed two baserunners in the first inning, one via a leadoff single and one issued walk. She settled in quickly, retiring the next 15 batters of the game, including 10 by way of the strikeout.

TXST botched a routine groundball to open the sixth inning, allowing SHSU its first baserunner since the top of the first frame. Rupp would work around the mishap, getting the next batter to bounce out to second. The runner aboard was called out for leaving first base early, leaving the bases empty with two gone in the frame. Rupp framed a 2-2 pitch on the outside portion of the plate, ringing up her 12th batter of the game.

Rupp ran into a tough spot in the top of the seventh. She plucked a Bearkat batter with two outs in the frame and gave up a sharply hit single through the right side of the infield to give the visitors two on with the tying run digging in. Rupp powered through, striking out the final batter of the game in four pitches.

For the evening, the senior struck out 13-of-25 batters faced while yielding just two hits and one walk. She earned every out for the Bobcats, marking the 76th time in 141 appearances that Rupp has registered a complete game.

Offensively, the Bobcats were held in check for the majority of the contest. Texas State managed just three hits in the game but reached five times on Bearkat walks. The Cats' big break came in the bottom of the sixth inning when a trio of TXST batters drew walks to load the bases. Christiana McDowell stepped to the plate and drove a lined shot into the right field gap. Sam Houston State's right fielder misplayed the ball, allowing the ball to skip off her glove and reach the wall on a bounce. The error cleared the bases, allowing all three Bobcats to come around and score the game's only runs.

Kourtney Pock, making her Bobcat debut, was 1-for-2 at the plate. Haleigh Davis roped a double down the third baseline, going 1-for-2 on the night with a walk and a run scored. McDowell accounted for the only other Bobcat hit with a bunt single in the third frame.

The Bobcats will continue the 2018 season tomorrow evening at the Bobcat Classic. Texas State will host No. 9 Florida State at 4 p.m. on Friday at Bobcat Stadium. The game is the first of two against the Seminoles as the teams will meet up again on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

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