SAN MARCOS, TX — In the final tune up before conference play, the Bobcats lost both games of a doubleheader against Big 12 foe Texas Tech.
 
GAME ONE: Texas State 3, Texas Tech 4
Jessica Mullins returned to the mound after being named Sun Belt Player of the Week and picked up right where she left off. She struck out two of Texas Tech's first three batters on the night.
 
From there, the Bobcats looked to get ahead but with just one hit in the bottom of the first the team was unable to do so. From there, the Red Raiders hit a homer to left field, giving Texas Tech the 1-0 lead in the second inning.
 
The Bobcats got on base again in the bottom of the second, but it wasn't enough. The singles that left runners on base would be the demise of the Bobcats all afternoon. 
 
"We got to get the barrelhead on the ball," said Head Coach Ricci Woodard. "That's the bottom line, we can't leave runners on base. It takes a lot of singles to score runs the way we we're doing it right now."
 
In the top of the 4^th the Red Raiders hit their second homerun of the day which was good for two RBI to make the game 3-0. Texas Tech's homeruns were just the third and fourth that Mullins has thrown through 95 innings pitched so far this season.
 
Piper Randolph started an attempt at a comeback in the bottom of the 4^th. She got on base from a double, her second of the season, and scored off a Vanderford's double. Vanderford's double was her 7^th of the season and 43^rd of her career.
 
The Bobcats tied up the game when Sara Vanderford and Anna Jones scored courtesy of JJ Smith's single, but the Bobcats would be unable to put another run in on the day.
 
The Red Raiders sealed the win on a sacrifice fly in the top of the 5^th.
 
GAME TWO: Texas State 2, Texas Tech 3
Karsen Pierce started on the mound for the Bobcats in game two for her 7^th start of the season.
 
The Bobcats would get on the board early in Game 2, going up in the first inning when Hannah Earls would single to left field and score on a sacrifice fly from Vanderford. 
 
Pierce would hold the Red Raiders hitless from the second inning until midway through the top of the 6^th. Texas Tech would walk their first batter and the second hit a double. 
 
Peyton Blythe would ground out, allowing Makinzy Herzog to score the first run for the Red Raiders. Up next, Ellie Bailey would hit Texas Tech's third home run of the day, good for 2 RBI, to seal the game for the Red Raiders. 
 
"We gave up a walk and a homerun," said Woodard. "You can't do that against a good team."
 
In the top of the 7^th Woodard brought on McCann for the final inning. 
 
"[Pierce] gave up four hits the whole game so that's why I didn't take her out [earlier]," Woodard said. "[Pierce] did a pretty good job of keeping them in check so I didn't see a reason to make a change yet. Then Tori came in and did a really good job so if you could go back one pitch, sure, you'd like to, but I thought [Pierce] threw a pretty good game."
 
In the bottom of the 7^th Hannah Earls got walked, but no one else was able to get on base and the Bobcats would suffer a 3-2 loss in game two of the doubleheader.
 
NOTES TO KNOW: 

• The Bobcats will head to conference play with a 18-9 record, ranked No. 25 in the nation by D1 Softball.
• Jessica Mullins pitched her ninth complete game in Game 1 versus Texas Tech. She has nine complete games in 18 appearances and is currently on a streak of four complete games in a row.
• Mullins surpassed the 100 career appearances this week, making her 100^th appearance in Texas States' 3-1 win over Alabama. She now sits at 102 career appearances.

 
UP NEXT: The Bobcats will head on the road for just the third time this season to open up conference play against Troy. The teams will play three games in three days beginning March 17^th at 5 pm (CT).
 
"They were pretty good last year so I think it'll be a good competition," said shortstop Hannah Earls. "As long as we keep hitting like we have been and playing defense like we have been it should be pretty good."