BOONE, N.C. – Texas State opened Sun Belt Conference play with a sweep against Appalachian State on Sunday, March 21 at the Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium.
The Bobcats (17-3, 2-0 Sun Belt) took the first game 4-3 before closing the day with an 8-3 victory against the Mountaineers (11-10, 0-5 Sun Belt).
Jessica Mullins (8-2) picked up another win in the circle, as she struck out four and gave up two runs in 3.1 innings of work. Tori McCann was credited the save by striking out one of the three batters she faced.
Hannah Earls opened the game with a leadoff single, and Sarah Vanderford followed with a double to left field to put both runners in scoring position. Tara Oltmann reached on a fielder's choice and earned the RBI as Earls crossed home plate, and with the bases loaded with one out, Catherin Crenek singled to left center to bring in Veanderford.
The Bobcats took a 3-0 lead in the top of the third after Vanderford's second double of the game, and crossed home plate unearned thanks to a throwing error, but App State responded with two runs on three hits in the bottom half inning to trim the lead, 3-2.
Texas State answered quickly with Earls' RBI double in the fourth inning, and although App State threatened in the seventh inning with one run, King struck out one batter in relief, and the Bobcats completed the double play with a line out to the shortstop and unassisted tag out to end the game.
Appalachian State scored three runs in the second frame of game two, but it was all Bobcats after that as they scored eight unanswered. With the bases loaded in the third inning, Vanderford got the Bobcats on the scoreboard with a RBI sac fly, and in the fourth inning, the Bobcats scored three runs, highlighted by a 2-run shot to right center form Ari Bell.
Oltmann sealed the game in the seventh inning as she extended her hitting streak to 14 consecutive games with a grand slam on a 2-2 count with no outs. Dalilah Barrera (1-0) was credited with her first win of the season after pitching three innings, and Mullins earned her second save this year as she faced eight batters and finished with three strikeouts and gave up one hit and one walk in two innings.
Texas State will continue its road trip to begin conference play as they are set for a doubleheader at Georgia State on Tuesday, March 23 in Atlanta, Ga., and will conclude the series at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24.
