LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The Texas State softball team (4-4) split a pair of games against Montana (1-7) and Bradley (4-4) on Saturday at the N.M. State Softball Complex despite scoring 21 combined runs. The Bobcats topped the Grizzlies by a score of 11-3 in six innings before falling to the Braves by a final tally of 12-10.

GAME 1 – TXST 11, UM 3
KEY MOMENTS
- Junior outfielder Christiana McDowell led off the game with solo home run (2) down the left field line. McDowell would double in a run in her second at-bat in the top of the second inning.
- Senior outfielder Mari Cranek roped a two-RBI triple down the right field line to score freshman outfielder Jordyn Smith and junior designated player Haleigh Davis. The hit came just two pitches after sophomore infielder ArieAnn Bell scored on an error by the Montana defense.
- Davis drilled a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning to regain an eight-run advantage and put the run-rule into play.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Davis posted a perfect 4-for-4 day at the plate, including one homer, a double, two RBI and two runs scored.
- McDowell finished a triple shy of the cycle with a solo home run, an RBI double and a single in her first three trips to the plate. She added one stolen base.
- Sophomore infielder Tara Oltmann collected two hits in four trips to the plate with one double, one RBI and a run scored.
- Batting from the ninth spot, Cranek added two hits, two RBI and a run scored.

NOTABLES
- Sophomore pitcher Meagan King (1-3) earned her first victory of the season after pitching 6.0 innings and allowing seven hits and three runs. She issued three walks, while striking out three.
- Through the first three games of the Troy Cox Challenge, McDowell is hitting .667 (8-for-12) with two home runs, one double, four RBI and six runs scored. She has two home runs on the season, doubling her output from the 2018 campaign.

GAME 2 – BU 12, TXST 10
KEY MOMENTS
- With the bases loaded in the top of the third inning, freshman designated played Samara Lagway laced a double into left center to score three Bobcats. The hit gave the Cats a 3-2 lead.
- Freshman outfielder Jordyn Smith followed Lagway's run-scoring double with her own RBI double to the left field gap. In the fifth inning, Smith would score on a triple from Cranek.
- Texas State scored four runs in the sixth inning but gave up three home runs in the bottom of the same inning and a total of seven runs to cough up the lead.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Eight Bobcats recorded at least one hit in the ball game. Cranek was the lone TXST player to record a multi-hit game with a 2-for-4 outing.
- Junior pitcher Dalilah Barrera had an up-and-down performance in the circle, surrendering six earned runs on nine hits and two walks. She left the game without recording in out in the fifth inning after allowing multiple runs in three innings. Barrera struck out seven batters.

NOTABLES
- The 10 runs scored were the most by a Bobcat team in a loss since a 14-13 defeat against Sam Houston State on March 6, 2013.
- Texas State has now scored double-digit runs in three of the last four ballgames. The Bobcats scored 10-plus runs just four times during the entire 2018 campaign.

ON DECK
- The Bobcats will play at 10 a.m. in the finale of the Troy Cox Classic on Feb. 17 against Montana at the N.M. State Softball Complex.

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