DECATUR, Ga. — Texas State and Georgia State combined for five first-inning runs, but it was the Bobcats which scored at least one run throughout the game's final five inning to knock off the Panthers, 10-5, and sweep the three-game series.
The win moves Texas State to 20-3 on the season and 5-0 in Sun Belt Conference action after beating both Appalachian State and Georgia State since Sunday afternoon.
After hitting four home runs in Tuesday's doubleheader against Georgia State (12-14, 0-6),
Tara Oltmann added to Texas State's home run total with a one-out, two-run home run in the top of the first inning that highlighted a three-run inning for the Bobcats after
Hannah Earls, who led off the game with a walk before stealing second and advancing to third on a throwing error, scored on a Panther fielding error. Georgia State responded with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning off Bobcat starter
Tori McCann.
Both teams were held scoreless in the second inning, but Oltmann drove in her third run of the game in the third when she singled up the middle to score Randolph from third. Daisy Hess, who hit the two-run home run for GSU in the bottom of the first, drove in another run with a one-out single in the bottom half of the third.
The Bobcats' offense continued the following inning when Earls hit a one-out double down the left-field line to score both
Marisa Cruz and
Molly Damiani. TXST added a single run in the fifth when Oltmann scored from third on a fielder's choice off the bat of
Cat Crenek. However, the Panthers plated its fourth run on a leadoff home run in its half of the inning.
Randolph responded for Texas State with a double to left-centerfield to score Earls, who walked to open the inning then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Randolph, after to third on a wild pitch, too, scored on a sacrifice fly from
Sara Vanderford to make it 9-4, Bobcats.
Georgia State plated its last run of the game on a two-out double in the bottom of the sixth. Damiani, though, made it a five-run game, again, when she scored
Marisa Cruz on a one-out double down the left-field line.
After playing 15 games since March 3, the Bobcats will take a five-day break in the action before returning to the diamond on Tuesday, March 30 when Texas State hosts Tarleton at 6 p.m.
