HOUSTON, TX — It took a few innings for the Texas State offense to warm up Saturday, but when it got rolling, the runs came across as the Bobcats beat McNeese, 5-3, and Houston, 8-2, to begin the Houston Classic.

In the morning contest, Texas State starting pitcher Karsen Pierce and McNeese starter Whitney Tate matched scoreless innings through the game's first three frames, before the Cowgirls broke through with a solo home run from Toni Perrin in the top of the fourth. 

Texas State got things rolling in the bottom of the fifth when the Bobcats plated five runs on four hits and two McNeese errors. The inning started with back-to-back singles from Dani Elder and Claire Ginder, before Elder scored from second on a throwing error. From there, Ginder touched home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Kylie George, then Hannah Earls, who forced the errant throw to score Elder, scored on a single from Ciara Trahan. 

Sara Vanderford kept the inning going when she reached via a fielding error that allowed Piper Randolph to score. Trahan worked her way around the basepaths to make it 5-1, Bobcats, on a fielder's choice off the bat of Anna Jones. 

McNeese responded with a pair of two-out runs in the top of the sixth. The Cowgirls attempted a seventh-inning rally, too, but a groundball to Vanderford at third started a game-ending double play. 

The night gap was a little of the same for Texas State as Houston took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second off a bases loaded hit by pitch. But an ensuing grounder to Ginder at second kept the bases full of Cougars and only one run on the scoreboard. 

Two innings later, Texas State got its offense in gear as back-to-back walks to Cat Crenek and Ginder proceeded a one-out single by Hannah Earls. Samara Lagway drew a full-count walk to load the bases for the top of the order. 

Randolph, who has at least one hit in all six games this season, tied the contest with a single up the middle that scored Ginder. The speed of Trahan out of the batter's box forced a Cougar fielding error that allowed Earls to score and re-load the bases for Vanderford. 

Vanderford, the Sun Belt Conference's Preseason Player of the Year, answered the call with her second home run of the season when she sent a 1-0 pitch over the right-centerfield fence to a grand slam that extended the Bobcats' lead to 6-1. 

In the bottom half of the frame, Houston appeared to be on the verge of answering as the Cougars loaded the bases with only one away, but Jessica Mullins entered the pitching circled and retired the next two batters. Houston did, however, add an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth on a Bobcat throwing error. 

But Ginder added two Texas State insurance runs in the top of the seventh on a two-out single to score Crenek and Jones, who both recorded singles in the inning. 

UP NEXT

Following Saturday's two wins, Texas State (4-2) will return to action on Sunday, Feb. 20, when the Bobcats play No. 1 Oklahoma at 10 AM CT, before concluding the four-game weekend against host Houston at 12:30 PM CT. 

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