MOBILE, Ala. — At 3:45 p.m. CT,
Anna Jones, on her way to postgame media availability, verbally stated how the entire Texas State softball program felt: "I'm tired."
Jones, a first-year Bobcat after transferring from LSU during the offseason, and her teammates had just knocked off second-seeded South Alabama (29-20) in a nine-inning marathon, 4-2, to advance in the 2022 Sun Belt Conference Softball Championships.
"What a battle, hats off to South Alabama for that game," said Texas State softball head coach
Ricci Woodard. "Unfortunately, someone had to lose that game. That was a great ballgame all the way around for both teams. You could tell what was at stake for both teams in that game.
"Obviously,
Jessica Mullins did a great job in the circle for us, once again, but I thought we battled at the plate and just kept battling, battling, and battling. If you can make a pitcher throw 179 pitches, you have a chance of doing some great things towards the end of the ballgame. I couldn't be prouder of student-athletes like
Anna Jones, who was struggling and came up big there at the end and there were a few of those."
After both teams traded single runs in the game's opening frame, South Alabama went ahead on a leadoff solo home run to start the bottom of the fourth. The Jaguar lead was short lived after the third-seeded Bobcats manufactured a game-tying run in the top of the sixth when
Claire Ginder sent the first pitch of her plate appearance into left field for a double that scored
Caitlyn Rogers, who drew a full-count, one-out walk, from first.
Mullins (27-11) went on to toss three consecutive scoreless innings to setup the dramatics that unfolded in the top of the ninth.
Kylie George led off the game's second extra inning with an infield single of the second pitch from Olivia Lackie (15-8). Five pitches later, umpires ruled a flyball off the bat of
Hannah Earls was caught by Jaguar left fielder Caroline Nichols, who popped up and immediate threw to first to double off George after she was standing on second after watching the ball pop out of Nichols' glove.
Despite the play's outcome, momentum was fueling Texas State (37-17).
During the next at bat,
Ciara Trahan matched her career high in hits in a single game with an infield single.
Sara Vanderford recorded a three-hit game with a double to left field to advance Trahan to third.
Insert Jones. After seeing two pitches, Woodard called time to speak with her right fielder.
"She told me I am made for moments like these," Jones said. "She showed some great confidence in me, and I really wanted to keep my head held high during that at bat."
Jones sent the next pitch screaming into centerfield. Both Trahan and Vanderford scored. And Texas State held its first lead since 1-0 after the top of the first.
"I was just up there fighting for my team, really," Jones said. "They kept telling me to believe in myself because they believed in me. And if they weren't doing that, then I probably would've shut down because I was 0 for 4 before that at bat. So, I went up there and wanted to fight for my team. I needed to go up there and do something for them and find a way on. And it ended up working out. So, I can't thank my amazing teammates enough."
Mullins went back to the pitching circle in the bottom of the ninth and capped her nine-inning performance by setting down the Jaguars on 12 pitches.
Texas State, which has now won at least two Sun Belt Conference tournament games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2017 and 2018, will face top-seeded Louisiana on Friday, May 13 at 10 a.m. CT.
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