SAN MARCOS, Texas — Looking for momentum heading into postseason play next week, the Texas State softball program found some and so much more when the Bobcats beat UTA, 8-0, in five innings on Thursday night. 

"I think the team is feeling a lot more confident right now, then they have in a long while," said Texas State softball head coach Ricci Woodard. "We finally got the bats rolling a little and things just started clicking a little bit better tonight."

It didn't take long for the Texas State (34-10, 15-6) offense to start rolling as the Bobcats knock out UTA starting pitcher JoJo Valencia (5-6) in the first inning as TXST scored four runs off three hits and a walk. Even after the Mavericks made a pitching change to Kenedy Hines, things kept moving as Texas State added two more in the run column off the new UTA pitcher.

The inning was highlighted by Sara Vanderford's conference-leading 11th home run on the season — when she clubbed a two-run home run over the left-centerfield fence — and ArieAnn Bell's 27th career home run when she hit a one-out, three-run home run after the pitching change.

The six-run inning was the second-most runs scored in a single inning by Texas State this season after the Bobcats plated seven in the bottom of the third against Lamar on Feb. 28, 2021. 

"I think our offense came out with something to prove tonight and that's what I like to see," Woodard said. "I think they were more confident in the box tonight after some of the drills we did this week. 

"Even in Samara's (Lagway) last hit and just her whole approach, you could tell she was very confident. From the first at bat to the last, I liked the way our team approached the plate tonight."

The six-run lead was more than enough for Texas State pitcher Jessica Mullins (18-6) as she limited UTA (16-30, 9-12) to only three hits in five innings of work. She totaled three strikeouts, while not issuing a walk. Mullins allowed only three baserunners all evening and did not allow one to reach second base.

Additionally, Thursday night's win for Mullins tied the freshman with Troy's Leanna Johnson for the league lead in pitching wins this season. 

Vanderford added to the Bobcat lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when she singled home Tara Oltmann, who led off the inning with a double to the left-centerfield gap. After loading the bases and a Bell flyout, Lagway singled through the leftside of the diamond to bring Vanderford home from third and bring the game to an end. 

Texas State will look for its sixth conference series win this season when the two teams link up on Friday, May 7 at 5:30. The Bobcats will honor two former student-athletes in Christiana McDowell and Bailee Carter prior to the game as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic preventing the duo from receiving their senior recognition last season.