SAN MARCOS, TX — Following Saturday afternoon's loss to Louisiana, Texas State softball head coach
Ricci Woodard wanted to see more fight out of her squad. The 22-year veteran got just that Sunday when the Bobcats rallied to score two runs in the bottom of the sixth to knock off the Ragin' Cajuns, 5-4.
"We battled today," Woodard said. "I thought we battled the first game, too, but just didn't do a great job of battling yesterday. I thought that Friday night game could've gone either way, too, but the team just kept battling today, which is something we talked a lot about yesterday afternoon."
After
Jessica Mullins (13-10) and Sam Landry traded zeros in the game's opening frame, Louisiana (23-9, 9-3) took a two-run lead in the top of the second off a one-out, two-run throwing error. Mullins, though, responded with back-to-back outs to end the frame.
The bottom of the third was the first opportunity for Texas State (19-15, 6-6) to show its resiliency on the day.
Ciaran Trahan recorded the Bobcats' first hit of the game when she singled a 1-0 pitch back to Melissa Mayeux at shortstop. The freshman advanced to second on a wild pitch from Landry to
Dani Elder and eventually scored on a single to left field by
Piper Randolph.
Randolph flashed her speed on the basepaths, too, when she stole second on the first pitch to
Hannah Earls. The sophomore outfielder came around to score as well when Louisiana first baseman Stormy Kotzelnick dropped the ball when attempting to apply a tag on
Hannah Earls.
Two innings later, the Bobcats took a one-run lead when
Anna Jones was credited with a sacrifice fly as Earls scored from third.
Louisiana responded with a two-out, two-run home run to left-centerfield off Mullins in the top of the sixth. But the sophomore right-hander brought the inning to an end without any more damage just five pitches later.
Rather than waiting an inning to rally, the Texas State offense got right to work in the bottom of the sixth as
Caitlyn Rogers dumped a 1-2 pitch into shallow left field for an inning-opening single. She gave way to
Tori McCann, who entered the game as a pinch runner.
McCann, representing the game-tying run, advanced to second when
Ciara Trahan was hit by a 0-2 pitch. Elder moved both into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt before
Piper Randolph worked a 1-2 count into a seven-pitch walk to load the bases with one out.
After a Louisiana pitching change brought Landry back into game, McCann tied the game when she raced home from third on a fielding error by Mayeux at shortstop.
With the bases still loaded,
Cat Crenek pushed Texas State ahead when she was credited with the Bobcats' second sacrifice fly in the game when Trahan tagged up from third on a flyout to centerfield.
Mullins, now with a one-run lead, returned to the pitching circle to start the seventh, looking to cap her second complete game on the weekend. She retired the first batter on four pitched, then surrendered a one-out single to Maddie Hayden, who advanced to second on a stolen base moments later.
With the game-tying run in scoring position, Mullins induced a flyout to Trahan in left field, before striking out Jourdyn Campbell to end the game.
Texas State will now look for its 20th win on the regular season when the Bobcats travel to Huntsville, Texas to play Sam Houston on Thursday, April 7 at 3 p.m. CT.
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