COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas State softball team (13-5) split a pair of games on day one of the Texas A&M Invitational. The Bobcats took down Utah (6-6) by a score of 6-1 before falling short at the hands of Louisiana Tech (10-8), 2-0. The loss to the Lady Techsters halted the Bobcats' eight game winning streak that began on Feb. 18, the final day of the Littlewood Classic.

GAME 1
TEXAS STATE 6, UTAH 1

The Utes scored the first run of the game in the third inning off of pitcher Randi Rupp. Utah put two runners on base, one by way of a hit batter and the second on a fielding error from the Bobcats. Rupp surrendered a double to left field, scoring the runner from second on an unearned run.

Utah's lead was short lived, as the Bobcat offense struck in the top of the fourth inning. Christiana McDowell singled to shortstop to open up the inning. In Texas State's next at bat, Hailey MacKay reached safely on an infield single, advancing McDowell to second. Ariel Ortiz hit a sharp grounder to the third baseman, reaching first on a fielder's choice. McDowell was called out at third. Bailee Carter stepped to the plate with runners on first and second and two away in the inning. She delivered a single through the left side, scoring both MacKay and Ortiz on the play. Jaelyn Young chased Carter home on an infield single to second base to give the Cats a 3-1 lead heading into the fifth.

Both Mari Cranek and Christiana McDowell walked with one out in the visiting half of the fifth inning. Both runners advanced a base on a passed ball by the Utah catcher, setting up Ortiz with runners on second and third with two outs in the inning. The senior drove a single into right field, plating Cranek and McDowell. In the top of the seventh, McDowell sent a solo shot off the scoreboard in left field to cap the scoring for the Bobcats.

In the circle, Randi Rupp pitched five innings, allowing just one run (unearned) on two hits and no walks. She struck out three batters while throwing just 65 pitches through five innings. Krista Jacobs came in to pitch the sixth and seventh innings and did not allow a base runner over the final six outs.

GAME 2
LOUISIANA TECH 2, TEXAS STATE 0

In the second leg of the double header, sloppy defense cost the Cats. The Lady Techsters scored the only two runs of the game in the first inning, both were unearned runs. Texas State committed two costly errors in the inning.

Offensively, the bats struggled against Louisiana Tech's pitching as the team collected just three hits in the ballgame. The Cats never truly threatened to score, going 0-for-8 with running on base and 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position. Only once in the seven innings did the Bobcats put the leadoff runner on base.

After earning the win in game one of the day, Randi Rupp started game two, throwing nearly 100 pitches in 5.2 innings of work. She allowed four hits and a trio of walks while striking out five Lady Techster batters. She took the loss for the Bobcats, moving her record to 9-4 on the season.

The Bobcats will be back in action in the Texas A&M Invitational on Saturday morning with a 10 a.m. first pitch against the Lady Techsters. Texas State will then square off with host Texas A&M in a marquee Saturday afternoon showdown. First pitch from the Aggie Softball Complex is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. The Cats will close out the tournament with a 9 a.m. clash with the Utah Utes on Sunday morning.

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