TROY, Ala. — It's never over until it's over and Friday night's contest was another testament to the old cliché as Texas State rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh to claim a 4-3 victory at Troy.
Texas State (32-9, 13-5) entered the top of the seventh inning trailing 3-2 with Troy ace pitcher Leanna Johnson (18-6) in the pitching circle.
Sara Vanderford, who put the Bobcats ahead 1-0 in the top of the second inning with her Sun Belt-leading 10th home run of the season, capped a six-pitch plate appearance with a walk.
Vanderford was lifted for a pinch-runner in
Marisa Cruz, who advanced to second three pitches later on a sacrifice bunt off the bat of senior first baseman
Hailey MacKay. Cruz, representing the game-tying run, moved, again, when she was called safe at third base on a fielder's choice from
Cat Crenek. Crenek, representing the go-ahead run, stole second base during the next at bat.
During that next at bat, Bobcat freshman
Baylee Lemons sent a 1-1 pitch into left field for a single to plate Cruz and move Crenek to third. Lemons stole second during the next at bat to proceed
Kylie George's plate appearance.
George, with a 1-2 count and two away, singled back up the middle to bring Crenek home and push the Bobcats ahead 4-3.
Texas State freshman pitcher
Jessica Mullins (17-6) retired the Trojans (32-11, 15-4) in the bottom half of the seventh inning on just eight pitches to seal the Bobcat victory. Mullins finished the night becoming the first Sun Belt Conference pitcher to beat both Louisiana and Troy this season and became just the third conference pitcher to strikeout eight Trojans, which are the most strikeouts by Troy in a conference game this season.
The seventh-inning dramatics were just a glimpse of the action throughout the evening, though, as following Vanderford's second-inning home run,
ArieAnn Bell stole home on a double steal to put Texas State ahead 2-0 in the third inning.
Troy broke through in the run column, too, the following inning when the Trojans managed to score a run on two hits off Mullins, who started the game in the pitching circle.
However,
Dalilah Barrera entered the circle for Mullins after allowing a one-out walk in the bottom of the fifth. Troy rallied for two runs on two hits before the inning concluded to take a 3-2 lead.
Mullins re-entered the circle after Barrera issued a leadoff walk and a single to start the bottom of the sixth. She went on to get the next three outs without a Trojan scoring to set the stage for the top of the seventh.
The Bobcats will look to take the series from Troy when the two teams square off, again, on Saturday, May 1 at 2 p.m.
