SAN MARCOS, Texas –  Texas State softball returned to Bobcat Stadium in the first of a three-game series to close out the 2023 regular season and got a statement 2-0 win. The win came thanks to the bat of JJ Smith whose two hits on the night lead to both scoring plays for the Bobcats.
 
Jessica Mullins started in the circle for the Bobcats, starting off her night with the first of six strikeouts in her eventual shutout victory. She'd strike out KK Mathis and toss two groundouts to go three up, three down, something she'd repeat in all but one of the innings in this game.
 
Sara Vanderford would get the Bobcats first of six hits on the night, a single through the left side, followed up by Karmyn Bass' single to left field. That inning would leave two runners on, though, when Anna Jones flew out to center field.
 
When Katarina Zarate was walked to open the second and stole second on Piper Randolph's at bat, it would be Smith who would get the RBI single to open the scoring. Smith hit a laser to center to give Zarate time to advance two bases to home.
 
"We just need to celebrate the little victories," Smith said. "If we do that it'll help us get up and that'll help us a lot."
 
Mullins struck out the Dukes leadoff batter for the second of three innings to keep it level headed to the fourth inning. 
 
"I didn't have my best game," Mullins said. "But I was able to execute what I got and let my team back me up."
 
In the fourth, Mullins struck out two for three, paired with a great play by Vanderford at third base to go three-for-three once again.
 
"When [Mullins] throws like that, we have a good chance to beat anybody," head coach Ricci Woodard said. "She gives us a chance to win, usually we can find a way."
 
Randolph doubled up the middle in the fourth, but it wasn't enough to get another run in when Smith would fly out and Hannah Earls grounded out.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, Smith would hit another single to give the Bobcats breathing room headed to the final inning. Jones would score after her single to open the inning on Smith's at-bat.
 
"That hit is exactly what JJ is capable of," Woodard said. "That is what we've been asking her to do all year long is stay back and drive the ball the other way. She's finally getting confident about what she's doing at the plate and its starting to show."
 
Mullins tossed her final strikeout of the night on the Dukes second batter to solidify the one-hit shutout she tossed.
 
"Our key thing is remembering what we play for," Mullins said. "Making sure that we play for each other, once we figured that out, we started rolling and just never stopped."
 
The Bobcats will look to keep momentum rolling in game two of the series with first pitch being Friday at 4 p.m. inside Bobcat Softball Stadium. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
 
Texas State will close the regular season with the final game of the James Madison series on Sunday, before the team will head to the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Championship.