DECATUR, Ga. — The Texas State University softball team opened its Sun Belt Conference slate of games in dominate fashion as the Bobcats beat Georgia State University, 16-0, in six innings on Friday afternoon.

After both teams put up zeros through the game's first two innings, Texas State (14-7, 1-0) start its scoring in the top of the third inning when Christiana McDowell hit a 2-2 pitch over the left-field fence for a solo home run. The flood gates opened for the Bobcat offense the following inning when Hailey MacKay and ArieAnn Bell hit back-to-back solo home runs to start the inning. Bailee Carter capped the four-run inning with a two-out, two-run single to left field.

In the top of the fifth inning, Sara Vanderford extended Texas State's lead over Georgia State (6-14, 0-1) with a one-out, two-run home run to make it 7-0.

An inning later, the Texas State offense exploded for nine runs on five hits and one Panther error as Kaylee Lind, Tara Oltmann and Cassie Valdez' home runs highlighted the offensive outburst. McDowell added to her RBI total in the inning, too, with a three-run double in the inning.

While the Texas State offense was putting up runs, Dalilah Barrera (5-2) was completely in control in the circle as the senior tossed six innings of one-hit softball and struck out a Texas State career-high 12 batters. Barrera started the game by retiring the first 11 Panther batters, before two-out single through the left side in the bottom of the fourth gave Georgia State its first baserunner of the game. GSU added a second baserunner during the game on a two-out fielding error in the bottom of the sixth.

Texas State and Georgia State will continue its three-game Sun Belt Conference series on Saturday, March 7 at 12 p.m. CT.