SAN MARCOS, Texas — Following a brief, six-day break in the schedule, the Texas State softball team picked up right where it left off as the Bobcats extended its winning streak to 14 games on the heels on an 8-0 six-inning win over Tarleton State Tuesday night. 

"There in that last inning, I challenge the girls to get back to doing the small things right so that we could make sure we were getting better rather than playing to where we needed to competition wise," said Texas State softball head coach Ricci Woodard. "I felt we did a good job of finding our groove in the last inning and figuring out how to win a ballgame.

"I feel we are doing what we need to, but we still need to figure out how to get better if we want to win more games in April and May."

In the groove is exactly where Bobcat second baseman Sara Vanderford is right now as the sophomore clubbed a 2-1 pitch over the left-field fence for a one-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the first after Jessica Mullins (10-2) set down Tarleton State (11-22) in order in its half of the inning. 

Baylee Lemons added to the Texas State (21-3) lead the next inning when the freshman third baseman sent a 3-2 pitch well over the center-field fence for a one-out, three-run home run, which marked the seventh time this season the Bobcats have hit multiple home runs in the same game. 

The Bobcat lead grew to 6-0 in the bottom of the third when Vanderford scored an unearned run when she scored from third on a two-out fielding error by the Tarleton State second baseman. 

While the Texas State offense was having a productive first four innings at the plate, Mullins limited the Tarleton State offense to only one hit — a one-out single to left-centerfield in the second inning — through her four innings in the pitching circle. Dalilah Barrera entered the game for Mullins to start the fifth inning and recorded three straight outs, including back-to-back strikeouts, after allowing the first two Texans to reach base in the inning. 

Barrera allowed a leadoff walk to start the sixth inning, but a fielder's choice, pop up to Tara Oltmann at shortstop and a grounder to Oltmann halted the inning before anything could get started. 

Vanderford, who started the scoring for the Bobcats on the afternoon, ended the scoring as well when she sent a pitch down the right-field line and into the visitor bullpen on a bounce for a game-ending, two-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning. 

Texas State will resume Sun Belt action on Thursday, when the Bobcats play host to Coastal Carolina with first pitch of the doubleheader scheduled for 5 p.m.